A Bright New Future
by efwrocks
Summary: After the Great Revelation, Bella is yet again drawn to the vampires, particularly to the ruthless Sheriff of Area 5. *Energize WIP Most Promising Crossover 3rd Place*
1. The Great Revelation

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Twilight' nor do I own 'True Blood'/Sookie Stackhouse Novels.

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

Bella's Point of View

He left me. _He_ left me in the woods all alone. _He_ told me he didn't want me anymore. _He_ said it would be as if he never existed, as if that could happen. He was in my every thought, my every dream, and my every recent memory of this town. I couldn't bring myself to leave Forks though. What if he came back and I didn't know? But he said he didn't want me. I sighed. I should just move on like he said he wanted me to do. How could I though? He was everything to me.

I picked up my backpack and started heading out to my truck. I locked the door on my way out and put the key back over the eave. My favorite, rusty, old, red truck that couldn't reach over fifty miles an hour without protesting was still in the driveway and still working. I got in and put my backpack on the passenger's seat. The truck started up after the first turn and I let it idle a minute to warm up. I had a thick, warm, black parka on that kept me dry and toasty in a place like Forks.

Forks, Washington was the town that the rain inconsequentially came down on the most in the continental United States. It was a small town that was popular among hikers and campers. Being a short ways away from the Olympic mountain range, Forks had a few tourists who came to hike and camp. It was very green. It was too green, an alien planet. The moss clung to the trees and turned them green. It was a very beautiful place though, especially out in La Push at First Beach.

Thinking of La Push reminded me of the time Jacob had told me the stories of the Quileute tribe that he belonged to. They were the stories of their origins, but he wasn't supposed to share. I had faked flirting with him to learn the stories about the Cold Ones, who were also the same family that _he_ belonged to… the Cullens.

I mechanically arrived at the school. Today was even more depressing. The date was January 18, 2006. It was one year since I moved from sunny Phoenix to the damp and depressing town of Forks to spend quality time with Charlie while my loving, erratic, hair-brained mother went on the road with her new husband Phil, who played baseball for a living. It was exactly one year since my first day at Forks High School.

It was also exactly one year since I had met _him_. On this day last year, I saw him for the first time walk into the cafeteria, and then again as my biology lab partner. He instantly disliked me because he couldn't read my thoughts and because of the strong and wonderful smell of my blood. We ended up falling in love though. I had the most amazing summer of my entire life.

Then, on my eighteenth birthday, one of the most intense things happened. I accidentally cut my finger on the wrapping paper. One drop of blood and the newest member of the coven, Jasper, lost control (since he is still so new to the animal blood diet) and tried to attack me. Although, I don't think they give him enough credit. He feels others emotions, so why can't he feel their thirst too? When he tried to attack me though, Edward pushed me back into the table where there was a glass bowl that cut my arm a lot, so there was even more blood, and then I had six ravenous vampires looking at me wanting my blood.

Carlisle, the voice of reason that day and the local chief of surgeons, calmed everyone and stitched my arm up. A few days later, _he_ broke up with me in the woods. I tried to chase after him but got lost and fell down, a lot. When Sam Uley found me, he took me to Charlie. Dr. Gerandy looked me over and said to keep me warm and to drink lots of fluids and rest.

Ever since then, I have become nothing. I tried to keep it together in front of Charlie, but I know my dad isn't entirely convinced. The only good thing that has happened because of this is my Calculus grade hasn't ever been higher.

I was greeted by my friend Angela Weber once it was time for lunch. She noticed I was even sadder than usual and asked me what's wrong. She is so kind and considerate.

I answered her sadly. "It's been exactly a year since I came to Forks."

She seemed to understand immediately, for which I was thankful. "Maybe you could try and think about creating a fresh start since it's a new year; have hope that this year will be better."

I smiled at Angela. She was a good friend. I just couldn't find it in myself to have that hope right now. I thanked her before resuming pushing around my food on my plate. I hadn't really eaten that much since then and have lost considerable weight. I was now extremely thin to the point of unhealthy. I only ate enough to keep me alive, but barely that. Charlie usually made sure that I ate the food at home for dinner.

After school was finally over, I got in my truck and went home to happily sulk away where no one could see. I finished my homework quickly, within thirty minutes, and started preparing dinner for Charlie. I set about making chicken enchiladas, so I could have something to concentrate on. After the long task of dicing, I put them in the oven to bake and went upstairs. I had turned on my computer earlier so all I had to do was close all the pop-up ads. I checked my e-mail, where I had yet another message from Renee.

Despite my trying, the tenor of my e-mails had alerted her to my depression. She had even called a few times, trying to find out what was wrong. One time she even showed up and she and Charlie tried to get me to go home with her. That was the most alive I had felt since he left. I put up quite the fight.

I answered the e-mail then turned off the computer. I started walking over to my bed when I stepped on a creaky floorboard. I don't remember it being creaky before. I looked down and examined it, where it looked like it had been lifted up previously and removed, so I tugged at the small corner sticking up. Underneath were all the things I thought Edward had taken with him. It was my picture of him at the fated party from my scrapbook, the CD he made with his lullaby for me, the plane tickets from Carlisle and Esme, and a few other trinkets from our time together.

I quickly removed all of them before resealing the floor. I opened the drawer in my nightstand and put all of the stuff in it, except the CD. I put the disc in my player and pressed play. The sound that came through was simply incredible. It made my eyes fill with tears. I pressed the stop button and ran to the bathroom to wipe my eyes. I made myself presentable so Charlie wouldn't know and made my way downstairs.

I opened the oven to check on the enchiladas; and they were perfect. I took them out to cool and started making a salad. As soon as I had finished tossing the mix of vegetables and ranch dressing, Charlie came in the door. He hung his gun up on the hook, after removing the bullets, and came to the kitchen door.

He smelled the air. "Mmm. Smells good, Bells." He smiled.

I smiled back. "Thanks. You came just in time. I just finished."

He chuckled. "Perfect timing then, huh?"

I gave a small laugh back. "Yeah." I saw him staring at me unbelievably, and I didn't know why. I got two plates out, and two forks and knives. I got a glass out for me, and asked Charlie, "What do you want to drink?"

That seemed to snap him out of his stupor as he replied, "Beer, please."

I served the food, handed him his beer, and poured a glass of Coke for me. We ate in silence, but neither of us was uncomfortable with it. That's just how we were. I saw him sneaking glances at me every now and then. The only comment made was Charlie complimenting my cooking skills.

After dinner, I filled up the sink and started washing the dishes. I could hear Charlie vaguely on the phone and watching the news. He was talking to Billy Black, his best friend since before I was born, and the father of Jacob Black. They gossiped like two old women but neither one admitted it. I heard my name mentioned, and couldn't help but overhear my father saying that something was different about me. That it was the first time in months that I had laughed or smiled. He didn't know why, but he was hoping that whatever caused it kept me this way and got me better. Billy must have agreed. Then suddenly there was the sound they play when there is super-breaking news.

"Bella, come in here for a minute," Charlie called me. I dried my hands on the towel and went to the living room. There was a news bulletin saying that the Japanese created and have perfected synthetic blood. They call it TruBlood. I wonder where they got that name from. Then a blonde, short-haired woman in her probably mid-thirties came on the screen and started conversing with the reporter. Her name flashed as Nan Flanagan, under which it said she was a representative of the 'AVL'.

"The blood wasn't created for use in the medical field, though it can be useful there."

The reporter took on a confused look. "Then what was it created for?"

There seemed to be a tense pause before she spoke again. "For us. Hello, America. My name is Nan Flanagan and I am a vampire." At that moment, my heart stopped for a few beats. Also, there was a clicking sound and she flashed the world a fanged smile. Fangs; they had fangs. This was an entirely different kind of vampire than the Cullens.

The reporter gasped. "Are you saying that vampires are real, Ms. Flanagan?"

She smiled again. "Yes. I am. At the American Vampire League, we believe that we can coexist with humans now that we no longer need human blood to survive. We can survive on the new synthetic blood. It was decided with this recent development that we can finally come out of the coffin."

"Are you hearing this?" Charlie asked Billy on the phone. "They're saying vampires are real." He sounded like this was some kind of practical joke.

I could feel my face frozen at the news. As vampires revealed themselves to the public, what would happen now? Would Charlie find out about the Cullens?

I don't know what Billy said to Charlie, but he turned a whole new shade of red.

"Are there any other likenesses to the myths that are in fact reality?" the reporter asked. I was actually curious about that myself.

"Well, most of the myths were started by vampires to hide our existence from humans long ago, but that isn't necessary anymore. That is how we proved we weren't vampires. We can be seen in the mirror, garlic doesn't repel us, and we don't turn into bats. We are susceptible to the sunlight. We do sometimes sleep in coffins, but they can be quite uncomfortable. Like humans, most of us prefer to sleep in beds."

The reporter replied, "Thank you, Ms. Flanagan." She nodded her head before the cameras turned off. "Well, you heard it here citizens. Vampires are real."

She then went on to other stories, and some reactions to the news. I sat there in shock. I relaxed against the back of the chair trying to wrap my head around this. There was another kind of vampires; ones that didn't sparkle in the sunlight. After I finished my thought process and accepted there were other kinds of vampires, and that they were now known to the world, I realized it only took a very short amount of time. It had only been about a minute.

I chanced a look over at Charlie, who was fuming and disbelieving. He was no longer on the phone with Billy. He turned the television off. His gaze turned to me.

"Billy just told me that the Cullens were vampires." Silence fell on the room. I was stunned. He had the nerve to tell Charlie that? They weren't even the same kind of vampire! It wasn't public knowledge.

"What?" That was all I managed to sputter out. It didn't seem sufficient enough to cover everything that was going through my mind, like what are they doing right now, and should I tell Charlie the truth about them, or make it seem like Billy is lying?

I saw the vein in Charlie's forehead pulse. Uh-oh. "Billy told me an interesting story about how the Cullens are actually vampires, but not the same kind. Is this true?"

I got a tense butterfly feeling in my stomach and gulped before I took a deep breath. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could, he spoke up again.

"Don't even try to lie to me, either, Bella. You're not a good liar anyways." Well, he was right about that. So, in a very reluctant move, I decided to tell him.

"Yes, they're vampires, and not the same kind. However, it wasn't Billy's right to tell you about them. In their world, any human who knows about them is in danger. It is against their law. It's the first rule of vampirism." Edward had told me about the Volturi, the faces from the painting in Carlisle's study. They were the royalty, and the law. You only messed with them if you had a death wish.

Charlie turned another shade darker, where it was tinged with purple. "How long did you know? And what do you mean it's against their law?"

"It's against their law for humans to know about their existence. If you tell them, you can be killed. You can't tell anyone about this, that you know. Okay?" I was panicked at the thought they might find out about us knowing.

He shook his head after a moment. "Okay. I won't tell anyone. I promise." I smiled with relief at that. "You didn't answer the one question though. How long did you know?"

I took a deep breath before I looked down at my hands before answering. "Less than a week before our first date, which was when he took me to play baseball."

His color didn't change. "You knew the risks though? You still liked him?"

I smiled a little at the memory. "He tried to scare me away with cryptic little word plays, but it didn't matter to me because regardless of _what_ he was, he is _who_ I loved. When you're in love, you don't care about what they are, just who they are. They don't feed from humans. They only feed on animals. Sure, they've had slip-ups when they were younger, except for Carlisle. He only ever tasted human blood when he turned them.

"But it would be silly to think that wouldn't happen at some point. It's in their basic nature. They try and stick to the diet as much as possible, but they said animal blood can let you survive, but it doesn't satisfy the cravings completely. Edward once compared it to a human living only on tofu. It keeps you alive but the thirst is still there."

Charlie's color lessened and had nearly returned to normal. He thought about what I said, before saying something. Five minutes had passed. "They only drank the blood of animals?"

I nodded. "Yes. They said they didn't want to be monsters. Carlisle found he could live on animal blood a few months after he was turned. He didn't want to kill anyone, so he went to the woods and isolated himself. One day, a herd of deer passed by and on instinct, he attacked them. He figured that since he had eaten venison in his human life, it would be perfectly fine eating venison as a vampire. The thirst went away and he could think clearly again."

Charlie thought this over. "What about when you came home from the baseball game and went to Phoenix?"

I winced and my hand automatically went to my scar on left wrist. "He was protecting me. There was a group of nomadic vampires that came through the area. One was a tracker and caught my scent. He wanted me. The Cullens thought it would be a good idea to leave the area, to protect you as well. I went to Phoenix, where the hunter caught up with us. He lured me away using an old home video with Renee's voice. He tricked me into thinking he had Mom. I got away from the Cullens, and believe me that wasn't easy." He smirked laughing for a second before going back to serious. "He lured me to my old ballet studio, where he tried to kill me. Edward got there just in time. He saved me. But before the tracker was killed, he bit me. Their kind has venom. If you get bitten, you turn if they don't drain you completely, or suck the venom out. The tracker was killed and Edward sucked the venom out of me. That's why they burned the studio down, to hide the evidence of vampires."

Charlie noticed I was rubbing my wrist the entire time. "Why do you keep doing that?"

I felt a tear start to come to my eye's edge to fall. "It's the scar from where I was bitten."

His eyes widened, but barely perceptibly. He held out his hand, so I handed him my wrist. He looked it over and ran his thumb over it. "It's colder there." I nodded. He gave me my wrist back. "So, he really did protect you, not make you so mad you had to leave?" I nodded again. "Why did you say those words to me then?"

I winced as the guilt from telling him the exact same thing my mother told him when she left came back full force. "It was the only way you'd let me go. The tracker was listening. I couldn't let you find out about vampires." He nodded.

I stood up to go back to the nearly forgotten dishes and finished washing them, letting him think over what he had just found out about. This was surely a lot for him to take in, especially in one night, probably one hour. Once that was done, I went back to the living room to find him a normal, safe color and still sitting in the same position. I had brought him another beer, which he took with a grateful smile. He muttered 'thanks, Bells' before taking a large drink. I sat there awkwardly with my can of ginger ale, waiting patiently for him to speak. Thankfully, it didn't take him long.

"Can vampires go out in the daytime?" he asked unexpectedly.

"Well, the Cullens could, but they were a different kind. They tend to stick to the places with less sun exposure, mainly in the North. The other kind I don't know. They never said anything about them." I wondered if they knew.

He thought over things for a few minutes. "This may seem like an odd question, and normally I wouldn't approve, but you've had to have a bad night, worse than anyone else. Do you want something stiffer to drink?" I nearly fell over in shock. Charlie… is offering me alcohol? This wasn't normal, although neither was tonight. Vampires 'came out of the coffin' as they put it.

"No, thank you." He smiled at that.

"Even now you're an extremely good kid, too good sometimes." Another awkward silence filled the room. "Why have you been lifeless for so long, Bella? Other people move on with their lives." He looked uncomfortable bringing up this subject. I didn't realize he noticed. I thought I did a good job of acting well enough in front of him, but he was practically comparing me to a zombie, lifeless.

"I didn't just lose a boyfriend, Dad." He lifted up an eyebrow inquisitively. "I lost an entire family. Alice was my best friend and sister. Emmett was my teddy bear of a big brother. I didn't get to know Jasper and Rosalie well, but Jasper was beginning to become like a big brother. Esme and Carlisle were like my parents too. Esme was a loving mother, completely opposite of Mom. She did the caring for, not the other way around. I didn't have to be the adult. Carlisle was like a second dad, and he is the best doctor I've ever known." By the end, my voice had grown melancholic and depressed.

Charlie stared at me for a moment before turning away, for which I was grateful. I don't think he realized how much they meant to me. I could tell he was thinking. He glanced at the clock on the wall.

He finally sighed. "Alright, I guess it's time to get some rest for tomorrow. Good night, Bells." He went up the stairs to get ready.

I smiled back. "Good night, Dad."

I glanced at the clock to see that it was almost midnight. Wow. I turned out all the lights and double checked that all the doors were locked before I went upstairs as well. I changed into sweatpants and a t-shirt and brushed my teeth. I turned the CD that Edward gave me on, and then I lied down on the bed. Before I actually fell asleep, I wondered how this would change everything. Would vampires and humans get along well?

Then I realized that ever since I found my missing things, I had no trouble thinking about the Cullens. I even think and say Edward's name without nearly collapsing from pain. I have been able to breathe better. The hole in my chest wasn't as large or strong. It was still there, but you can't expect it to go away overnight. Maybe it was because I realized that he never completely left me. He left part of himself with me subconsciously so he would always be with me. I don't know if he still loved me, but I did know that with knowing he left those mementos with me, leaving part of his self with me, that he did in some way care for me. With this thought on my mind, I fell into a deep sleep. For the first time in months, I had a different dream from the regular nightmare. I didn't wake up Charlie screaming. This dream could only bring me hope for the future.


	2. Saying Goodbye

Thank you for all the reviews and views and favorites, everyone!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

There was a blond-haired man that had his hair down to his shoulders. He was very built, wearing a revealing black tank top. He had blue-green eyes that reminded me of the ocean. He had on dark jeans and boots. He was sitting on a throne with something furry behind him, and looked completely bored. The building around him was painted in a deep blood red with pictures of vampires from movies and television. There was black furniture and black tables with black chairs scattered throughout the room. A long bar on the right side looked fully stocked. There was a sign on the wall in neon red cursive script turned sideways saying Fangtasia. Underneath was straight, print, and black. It said 'The bar with a bite.'

His eyes suddenly shifted to meet my chocolate brown ones for one long moment.

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

That is where my dream ended. I woke up wondering what it meant. I took care of my morning routine then went downstairs to make breakfast before heading to school. It seemed like last night was still a dream. Vampires had revealed themselves to the world. I was surprised to see Charlie sitting at the kitchen table. He had the newspaper with some bacon, eggs, and toast with orange juice. I assume he heard me moving around upstairs because there was another plate sitting on the other side for me.

"Morning, Dad," I greeted him.

He folded up the newspaper and then put it beside him. "Morning, Bells. I made you breakfast."

I smiled. "Thanks, Dad." I sat down and started eating, and so did he.

We ate in silence until Charlie took a deep breath for courage and then started to talk.

"Bella, about this vampire thing, I'm not sure it's safe for you here anymore. You said that the vampires like the Cullens could come outside in the day because it's cloudy." I stared at him in disbelief. "This morning, I called your grandma Swan's sister, Adele, and asked if you could come live with her and Sookie. She agreed, so today's going to be your last day at Forks High. You're going to leave to Bon Temps, Louisiana the day after tomorrow."

I stared at him in shock. He was sending me to Louisiana because of vampires that weren't even here anymore? "Dad, I don't want to go Louisiana. I want to stay here."

He shook his head. "No. It'll be safer in Louisiana. I'm sorry, Bells." He stood up and put our finished plates in the sink for later. "I'll call the school and arrange everything."

With that, he walked out of the house and to the cruiser before leaving for work. I still couldn't believe it. He's sending me to Louisiana. Unfortunately, my tears are connected to my anger. I felt the traitor tears overflowing and start to come down my cheeks. I wiped them away before standing and putting the glasses in the sink before going to brush my teeth and get my school bag.

I locked the door on my way out and got in my truck. I turned the heater on immediately. It was only January and it was really cold, at least to me. One good thing about being sent to Louisiana was that it was warmer there, but if I left here and they came back, how would I know? I pulled into the parking lot of the school and sat there for a moment. I finally got out and went into my first class, which was English.

The day went the same in each class. Charlie must have called the office when he got to work because they had already given me a slip for the teachers to sign. I did the day's work and then handed in my book at the end of class.

At lunch, everyone was abuzz about the new public knowledge of vampires. I sat at the table with all of my friends (Angela, Ben, Jessica, Lauren, Mike, Tyler, Eric, and Eric's girlfriend). They looked surprised that I sat here instead, as I had been sitting at the Cullen table more often than not.

"Hi," I said. They all sat there staring in shock.

Mike was the first to talk. "Well, it looks like Bella is back."

I smiled. "Kind of." They looked confused so I explained further. "Only for the day. It's my last day of school here."

Everyone stared at me in shock. Angela reached over and gave me a large hug, her eyes misting. "I'm going to miss you."

I hugged her back. "I'll miss you too."

Jessica was the first to address it. "Why is it your last day?"

I frowned slightly. "Charlie isn't happy about the vampires. He thinks I'll be safer where it's sunnier."

Everyone understood that. "Where are you going to go?" asked Mike.

"He's sending me to live with my great-aunt and cousin in Louisiana." I sighed. I still wasn't happy about this. I guess he figured I still didn't want to live with my mom. He was right about that though.

Angela hugged me again. Most of the table followed, except for Lauren. I didn't mind that though. A lot of us exchanged e-mails so we could keep in contact.

At the end of the day, I handed in the slip of paper and the receptionist gave me a stack of papers to bring with me to give Bon Temps High School. They wished me well in the future and then I stepped out of Forks High School for the last time. In a way, I was happy; it was too green and rainy here. In a way, I was sad; I had to start a new school again: in my senior year.

I had talked to Adele and Sookie before, and we met when I was three and Grandma Swan died. I had seen her a couple times since then, but it has been a while.

Since I had no homework, I decided I would start packing. I turned my computer on to let it warm up before I checked my e-mail. After I got a good part of packing done, I sat down and logged in. I already had a message from Renée. Charlie had apparently informed her about moving me to Louisiana. She seemed to agree, though she was excited about the fact there were vampires.

I headed to my favorite search engine and typed in the name of the bar in my dream: Fangtasia. The result that came up was a website for the bar, which was in Shreveport, not too far from Bon Temps. The site advertised the slogan too: the bar with a bite. I got the address and directions from Bon Temps, just in case. I wanted to know if the man from my dream was real, though more than likely he was a vampire.

I also made a quick call to Newton's Outfitters, telling them that I was leaving Forks. They wished me well in Louisiana.

After that, I headed downstairs and started to make spaghetti with homemade meatballs and garlic bread. It all finished cooking soon and I made a salad to go with it. I cut the vegetables while the spaghetti was still cooking. Charlie came in as soon as everything was finished. The man had impeccable timing.

We had a silent dinner, except unlike the past, this one was a little awkward. After we finished eating, and I cleared the table, Charlie stayed behind for a minute instead of going directly to the living room.

"If you want to bring anything with you that you can't fit into your luggage, then we can send it to Louisiana. We have some boxes in the attic. I can get them for you if you want." He was still sitting in his chair.

"Um… Yeah, that would be good. Thank you," I answered.

"Okay." He sighed. "Bells, listen. I'm only doing this because I'm worried about your safety. Who knows, it may help you get out of your depression."

"I know you're worried, but I'm fine. They're never coming back."

Since I was done washing the dishes and pans, I left the kitchen quickly and went to my bedroom. I put my CD on and then finished packing. It only took me about thirty minutes so afterwards, I just laid back and read _Wuthering Heights_ again. That's what I fell asleep doing.

The next morning when I woke up, there were some boxes outside my room. Charlie must have put them there last night. I brought them in before heading to have my human moment and get dressed. After that, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a pack of Pop-Tarts and a glass of orange juice. I returned to my room and packed a few boxes with books, clothes, and some other things. After I finished that, it was lunch time. I made myself a sandwich and ate some chips.

Since it was a Saturday, no one was in school. I would go down to La Push and say goodbye to Jake. I got my keys, locked the door, and got in my truck. It started after a moment and then I pulled out and made the twenty minute drive to the reservation. I finally saw the trees thinning and the first houses and took the route to Jake's house.

When the little red house came into view, I saw Jake running out from a building beside the house. When I opened the door, he was already there and pulled me out into a big hug that nearly took my breath.

"Hi, Bells," he exclaimed excitedly.

"Jake… need… air," I struggled to get out.

He immediately let me go and put me on my feet, making sure I was steady before letting me go completely.

"This is a surprise. What are you doing here?" Jake asked me.

I hesitated for a moment. "Can we walk some?"

He nodded. "Yeah, let me show you the garage first. I'm building a car. You wouldn't happen to have seen a master cylinder for a Volkswagen Rabbit have you?"

"No, not lately," as if I'd even know what that is.

We walked to the garage, which is the building I saw beside the house. Inside was a black car, about half way put together.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

I was very impressed he could do this. "This is amazing. You put that together yourself?"

He smiled. "Yep. I did have some help a couple of times though. I couldn't lift all of the pieces by myself."

I smiled back. "That's really impressive."

He smiled bigger. "Thanks!"

My smile started to fade. Jake noticed. "All right, what's wrong?"

We started to walk out and walk around the yard.

"Charlie is sending me somewhere else."

Jake stopped walking. By now, we were in front of the door, but not super close to the door. "What? Why?"

A small frown appeared on my lips. "The vampires; he's scared one will come here." Jake rolled his eyes. "And… Billy told my dad about the Cullens."

His face immediately snapped to mine. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "About the Cullens being vampires." He looked and happened to see the scar on my wrist from James. He ran his hand over it after pulling my wrist up to him, then let go after a minute or so.

Jake started shaking. Just then, a car pulled up and Sam Uley and Harry Clearwater got out. Jake's shaking got worse. Sam came running over.

"Bella, get back!" Sam yelled. I looked at him. "Get back, now!"

I started stepping backwards. Harry Clearwater was at the door now, telling Billy something. Billy came to the front porch with a scared look on his face. I kept backing up, my speed increasing as I went, and got to the porch beside Billy and Harry. Just then, Jake exploded into a big brown russet wolf the size of a horse with hair down to the ground. I gasped. Sam went into the forest and then a big black wolf came out. He was even bigger than Jake.

I turned to Billy and Harry. "Is that Sam?"

Harry looked at me and nodded before looking back towards the wolves. Within a few minutes, there were two other wolves that came. One was brown with dark gray around his eyes, like a mask, and the other had dark silver fur. They were all beautiful, but were completely lethal. I looked back to Harry and Billy.

"Is Jacob going to be okay?" I asked.

Billy looked over to me with a small smile. "Yes, he'll be okay."

"So, werewolves are real then?" I asked just to make sure.

"Yes, though we are not limited to the full moon. We only change when vampires are near," Harry answered.

"Okay." They were surprised by my easy acceptance. "I promise I'll keep this a secret."

They both nodded gratefully. "Thank you," replied Billy.

I smiled at them both before we turned our attention back to the scene in front of us. I wonder how they were communicating. Jake was calming down you could tell. The dark silver wolf ran to the trees and then a minute later, a guy came out of the trees with only shorts on. He was at least six feet tall and was very muscular, though not as big as Emmett, had black hair, was the same russet color as the rest of the people here on the reservation. As he ran closer, I could tell his eyes were brown.

"He's ready to phase back. He needs clothes," the boy said.

"Thank you, Paul," said Billy. "Bella, would you mind going to Jake's room and finding a pair of shorts or pants?"

"No problem," I answered. He smiled slightly, and I returned it.

I went inside the house and back to Jake's room. I found a pair of black sweat pants and then went back to the front porch. I handed Paul the pants and he ran back over to the tree line. A minute later, Sam, Paul, Jacob, and another boy came out of the woods. Jake looked tired, and like he was in some kind of pain. Once they reached the porch, Sam and Paul stopped at us and the other boy helped Jake into the house.

"How was Jacob able to turn so quickly?" asked Harry.

Sam answered, "I'm not sure. Something must have triggered it for him to turn into a wolf so quickly. He turned back so fast since he thinks anything is possible now with the vampires coming out of the coffin. I think Bella being here helped too." He looked to me then. "Bella, what were you talking about before he started shaking?"

"Well, I told him Charlie is sending me somewhere else, and then he asked why, and I told him he's a little freaked out about the whole vampire thing, which reminds me. Billy, if the vampires find out he knows they could kill him. They don't like humans knowing they exist." He paled a little at this. "Anyways, Billy told him about the Cullens, which has him more freaked since they can come out in the day. Then, when I told Jacob that Billy told Charlie, he saw my scar."

"What scar?" questioned Paul. I noticed the other boy had returned.

I held up my wrist. "It's a bite from a Cold One. There was a vampire after me that was a tracker. When he caught my scent on the baseball field the Cullens played at, he wanted me. The Cullens reacting the way they did made it his most fun game ever. That's why I was in Phoenix last year. They hid me there, and he found us. He said he had my mother, so I snuck away and met him. He didn't really have my mom, and he started torturing me. Edward got there after he broke my leg. They fought, and during the fight, James bit me. The Cullens killed James while Edward and Carlisle started fixing me up, but the venom was spreading. Edward sucked it out so I wouldn't turn."

"He turned from seeing that?" Paul asked disbelievingly.

"No. He held it and rubbed his hand over it."

Sam looked thoughtful. "I suppose that could trigger it. It would be like touching a vampire in a way."

Once they figured that out, Harry and Billy went inside. Sam introduced me to Paul and Jared, so I would know who they are, not just a name I picked up in a conversation and as just another boy. They filled me in on some of the wolf things, so I would know what to expect or do if something like that happened again, like Jacob accidentally phasing if I came back for a visit. Also, they told me ways to calm them down if they started shaking.

After that, Paul and Jared went inside, but I still had something to ask Sam.

"Is that how you found me? Your wolf form, I mean." He automatically knew what I was talking about.

He nodded. "Yeah. It's easier to track something that way. I caught your smell and then followed it before shifting back once I found you."

"I thought I had heard an animal around me right before that," I recalled. "I thought something was going to eat me."

He winced a little. "Sorry I scared you."

I smiled a little. "It's okay. Thank you for bringing me home that night."

He smiled back some. "You're welcome."

I suddenly recalled something. "Are the bear sightings you guys?"

I sighed and frowned a little. Paul and Jared came back out then. "Yeah. There's a vampire here. She keeps trying to get through us, but when we get close, she runs. We got there too late to save them, and people accidentally catch sight of us and think we're the ones killing the humans, but it's the vampire."

My stomach started to tie up in knots. "She?" Sam nodded. "Does she have red hair?"

I feared the answer. "Yeah, you know her?" Jared asked.

My knees couldn't hold me up anymore and I started falling. Someone caught me before I hit the ground. She finally found me. She came back for her revenge for killing her mate James. "Victoria? She's here?" It came out like an almost whisper. I could feel my eyes start to burn and it became harder to breathe. I noticed it got warmer at some point, so someone must have brought me inside. A moment later, this was confirmed as I felt the fabric of the couch.

I could hear the squeak of Billy's chair against the floor coming closer. "Bella?"

"Bella? Bells, are you okay?" I heard Jacob's raspy, worried voice before he knelt in front of me and looked me in the eyes. That seemed to draw me out of my daze.

I looked up. "Yeah. I'm just scared."

Everyone frowned. "Scared of what, Bells?" asked Jacob.

"V-Vi-Victoria," I stuttered out her name. "She's going to kill me."

Jacob looked mad now. "Who's Victoria?" He started shaking a little.

"Jacob, outside. You don't want to phase in here near her," Sam said. They led Jacob outside. "Is Victoria, the red haired vampire we've seen?"

"Yes," I answered. "She wants to avenge her mate's death."

"Mate?" asked Paul.

"James." That seemed to be enough for everyone.

After that, Jake came back in and I told him about Charlie sending me to Louisiana. He wasn't happy and wanted to keep in touch. He wanted me to call him at least once a week, and I agreed. Sam and Jared were nice, and Paul was nice sometimes, but a little of a hothead. The rest of the day went by quick with Sam, Paul, Jared, Billy, and Harry explaining to Jacob and me about the whole werewolf thing. I also told them about the dream when Jacob told me some of the legends. Edward had been glowing and Jacob turned into a russet wolf. They were surprised to say the least.

When it became almost night time, Billy called Charlie, Sam called Emily, Jared called Kim, and Harry called Sue and Seth. Leah didn't want to come because Sam and Emily. They called a few other people too. Sue showed up with lots of food, as did Emily, and Charlie showed up with beer, soda, and some chips.

I had a fun last night in La Push, and I didn't really want to leave. I knew Charlie wouldn't let me though. It luckily wasn't raining and stayed like that the entire night. I loved Emily when I met her. She was so sweet and kind, and sort of reminded me of Esme. She said she wanted to talk to me regularly too, so I gave her my cell phone number, and she gave me her and Sam's number. My cell phone was keeping the local number, so it wouldn't be considered long distance. She said to call if I ever needed anything, and Sam agreed with the statement. Kim was nice too, though she was quite shy.

After the night was over and I had to go home to rest for the move, we left. My plane left at 11:00 in the morning and we had leave at 9:30. I said my final (temporary) goodbyes to everyone there, Jake and Emily getting a hug, and went back to Charlie's little house. We said our goodnights before climbing in bed after brushing our teeth.

Tomorrow would be my first day in Louisiana and the start of my new life. With that, I fell asleep for the last time in Forks.


	3. Welcome to Louisiana

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~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

The next morning had Charlie and me waking up at around 7:00. We put the bags in the car, got the boxes ready for Charlie to send, and ate breakfast that Charlie cooked. I looked around the house from the door once more before I went outside to the cruiser while Charlie locked the door. I had put my portable CD player in my carry-on and the CD Edward made, plus the one Phil gave me. I have a few books and word puzzles too.

The hour long ride to Port Angeles was silent for the most part except one small conversation.

"Dad," I said. He glanced over at me. "I know you don't want to do this. I'd rather stay here, but I understand why you want me to go somewhere sunny."

He smiled a little while looking forward; I was looking forward too. We were both uncomfortable with expressing our emotions. "You're right, Bell. I don't want you to go, but I want you to be safe." He paused. "I'll miss you."

My eyes sprang tears a little. "I'll miss you, too, Dad."

After that, it was silent. When we got to the airport, Charlie helped me carry in my luggage. I checked in and we waited for my flight to be called. When the time came, I gave him one last hug and said goodbye before I boarded the plane to Louisiana. I listened to the CD Edward gave me for my birthday and read _Wuthering Heights_ the entire time.

After the plane landed, I got my luggage before making my way to the front of the airport in Shreveport to find Sookie. I saw her waving at me before she started yelling my name and came over to me.

"Bella!" She stepped in front of me.

"Hey, Sookie!"

She pulled me in for a quick hug. She smiled a lot.

"Nice to finally see you again. It's been a while."

I nodded. "Yeah, it has." It was already uncomfortable.

"You ready to go?" she asked. I nodded. "Okay, this way."

I repositioned my bags, Sookie took one to carry, and I followed her to her yellow car. She kept giving me strange looks, like she was frustrated. It was the kind of look Edward gave me at first when he discovered he couldn't read my mind. When we got to the car, she opened the trunk and we put my things inside. We climbed in the front seats and started the hour drive to Bon Temps.

Sookie updated me on all the recent happenings. She said Bon Temps got its first vampire in the form of one Bill Compton. He was originally from the town. There was also the first murder in decades. Her name was Maudette Pickens, and Jason had been with her physically in the past. She was rumored to be a fangbanger. Fangbanger is the term the media created the day after the reveal (in other words, two days ago) for the overnight sensation of the people throwing themselves at the vampires wanting to be bitten and have sex. Some even want to be turned. Since Maudette was very promiscuous, there were plenty of suspects, but Jason was the main one.

I told her of my truck, my friends, and my dad. Leaving out the vampire parts, I told the edited story of my short romance after she begged and swore secrecy. She also mentioned asking her boss Sam if I could work there if I wanted. Mentioning my balance problems, I said I'd think about it.

Since she had to work that day, she dropped me off at the house after helping bring my bags inside. I greeted Adele, who was excited I was here. While there, she quickly changed into her uniform and talked a minute with her grandmother. Adele told Sookie that Dawn, another waitress at Merlotte's, was found murdered while she was gone. The town thinks Jason might have killed her too.

After a few cryptic remarks, which made me think Sookie could read minds, she left to work. That left my great-aunt and me alone in the house. We hugged each other in greeting before she asked if I wanted some fresh sweet tea. I nodded and thanked her as we went into the kitchen. After we each got a glass, she led me upstairs to my new bedroom. Since both Sookie and Adele both stayed on the first floor, I had the whole upstairs to myself. The room was bigger than the one in Forks and had a bed, a nightstand, a dresser, a lamp, a small vanity, and a desk. The walls were a flower patterned wallpaper and hardwood floors. The bed had a flowered quilt and pillow case. I put my bags in there and changed into something more weather appropriate for Louisiana.

When I came back down, there was a man standing in the living room. When they noticed my approach, Adele introduced me to the man as Mr. Green, the local used car salesman. He was here to drop off the keys to a car: _my_ new car. It was in the front yard. He gave me a notecard saying it was from Charlie. I was surprised and touched that Charlie did this. I thanked him and went outside to look at it. It was a silver color and wasn't as old as my truck. The salesman called the car a 1995 Toyota Camry. I did recognize the brand name. I was glad it got better gas mileage than my truck in Forks. It also had a CD player in it. Once the salesman left, I called Charlie.

"Hey, Bells!" he answered.

"Hey, Dad!"

"You make it to Bon Temps okay?"

My lips came up in a small smile. "Yeah."

"That's good."

I could feel my smile getting bigger. "Thank you for the car, Dad! I love it!"

Even over the phone, I could tell he was a little embarrassed. "You're welcome, Bells. I figured since I made you move, I could get you some way to get around besides asking Sookie and Aunt Adele."

I was still smiling. "Well, thank you."

"So, how do you like Louisiana so far?" He wasn't comfortable with sentimental for long, and neither was I.

"It's not that bad. It's warm. I already changed to shorts!" I was glad about that. "Adele is really nice too. My bedroom is pretty good sized also." I did plan on buying some bedding though. Not to mention the curtains.

"That's good. I hope you can have a great start there." A small sad smile was on my face.

"Me too." I barely whispered.

He sighed. "I got to go Bells. I'm still at work."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

With that, we hung up. I got my rarely used pocket book ready and put an extra outfit in the bag for later, in case I decided to stop by Fangtasia for instance. This is what I planned on doing, along with the shopping. I made sure my new keys were in my pocket before I headed downstairs. Adele was sitting on a stool by the counter in the kitchen talking on the phone. When she saw me, she made up an excuse and hung up the phone. She must not have wanted to talk to them.

"Oh, the people around here have the wildest imagination sometimes," she laughed. I laughed with her. "Are you going somewhere, dear?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I was hoping to find a store to get a few things for school and my room. Do you think you can give me some recommendations?"

She smiled. "Of course! I'll write you some directions too." She listed a few stores in Shreveport and Monroe and wrote down the directions. I was glad that one of the stores was on the same road as Fangtasia. I thanked her and then I asked if she minded if I changed the curtains and bedding. She said she didn't, and I thanked her again. I asked her what size the bed was to make sure I got the right size. It was a queen. With a few more words, I gave her a hug before I went outside to my car.

On the way by, I stashed my extra set of clothes in my trunk. I put on some music and then headed onto the road. I went past Merlotte's and decided to get something to eat before I went. I hadn't really eaten much since breakfast this morning with Charlie. I pulled into a parking place and walked inside. Sookie was walking over from by the bar.

"Hey, Bella," she greeted.

"Hey, Sookie," I replied back.

"Are you here to eat?" she asked.

"Yeah. I haven't really eaten since breakfast, except a snack on the airplane."

Her face looked surprised. "Oh, honey." She pulled me into a hug. "Here, this is my section." She led me to a part of the restaurant and set me at a booth. "What do you want to drink?" she asked and handed me a menu.

"Coke, please." She went off to get my drink while I looked at the menu. They seemed to have just normal bar food, like burgers and chicken tenders and things like that. I decided to get the Burger Lafayette and French fries; it sounded really yummy. When Sookie came back, I told her and then she went off to put the order in.

I sat there looking around the bar. There were animals on the wall, and most everything was wooden. There were neon signs and pictures on the wall. The wall's bottom half was wooden and the top half had green wallpaper. There were green accents around the room as well. There was music playing on speakers in the background. I people watched until Sookie came back in around ten minutes.

As Sookie handed me my food, I asked her about Bon Temps High School. She told me how many classes a day there were, gave me some information about the teachers, and advice on how to find my way around. She said if I needed anything else, to just let her know, then went back to work. I started eating my food, which was delicious. At one point, a man came out and started talking to me. He had on a black mesh bandana with chopsticks that had gold and purple beads at the end, blue camouflage cargo pants, and a black and gray tank top. He was also wearing diamond earrings, eye shadow, and mascara.

"Hey. I hear you's Sookie's cousin," he said in a thick southern accent.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm Bella."

I held out my hand for him to shake, and he took it. "Lafayette."

I smiled a little. "Cool name."

"Thank you, Bella." He smiled back at me. He opened his mouth to speak more, but a voice interrupted us.

"Lafayette." We looked up. It was a man with red, sandy hair and blue eyes. He had on a blue flannel t-shirt, blue jeans, and cowboy boots. "Don't you need to get back to the kitchen?"

I perked up. "You're the chef?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

I smiled. "It's really good."

He smiled. "Thank you, Bella."

"Lafayette."

He rolled his eyes, but stood up. "I's talk to you later, Bella."

"It was nice to meet you." He walked back to where I assume the kitchen is.

"Bella?" The man asked me before taking the seat Lafayette vacated. "You're Sookie's cousin then?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He smiled and held out his hand, which I shook. "Sam Merlotte. I'm the owner of the bar. Sookie asked me if I could maybe give you a job part time. Would you want to work here? I'm a little short staffed."

"I don't know. I've never been a waitress before. I have a bit of a balance problem, and have a tendency to trip over air with nothing in the way," I explained.

He smiled. "It's okay. You'd get used to it. As for the balance, who knows? It may help."

I was still skeptical. "I don't know. I'll think about it."

He nodded. "Okay. What did you do in Forks, if you don't mind me asking?"

I shook my head. "I don't mind. I worked at an outdoors store as a cashier."

He looked surprised. "You don't seem like the outdoors kind of gal."

I nodded. "I'm not. There aren't many choices in Forks."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, let me know when you decide."

I smiled and nodded. He smiled back before standing and going to the bar. I continued to eat with Sookie occasionally checking on me. I also thought about whether I would work at Merlotte's or not. It would mean extra cash by tips, but my balance is terrible. I could give it a try, I suppose.

Once I finished, I put a tip on the table for Sookie and stood up. She came over then and handed me the bill. Just to make sure, I asked Sookie which way to get back on the Parrish Road to get to Shreveport. She gave me her cell phone number and said to call if I get lost. When she asked why I was going to Shreveport, I told her there are more choices to shop.

I walked up to pay the bill, and told Sam I would work here. He said he would give me a few days to get used to things before I started. I could pick up the uniform the day before, and to just give him my shirt size. I would also need a pair of black shorts and pants, since the weather here could get cooler in the winter. After this, I headed out the door.

Once in the car, I buckled up and pulled out of the parking lot and turned onto the Parrish Road in the direction of Shreveport. The long and curvy road was dense with trees. Once they thinned and cleared and I knew I was in the outskirts of the city, I was feeling better. I made it to the shopping center and went to the bedding section. I found a comforter set that was a deep purple with lilac swirls. It came with lilac with purple swirls sheets and pillow cases, and even a deep purple bed skirt. I chose a matching purple set of sheets and put them all in my buggy. I found curtains next and they had a matching set of deep purple and lilac swirls.

After that, I found a couple of accents that were cute (and cheap) before I found the school supplies section. I got some pens and pencils along with a few notebooks and folders. Afterwards, I found the clothes section. I managed to find a few things, especially since the shorts and jeans were on sale. I even found the shorts and pants for the Merlotte's uniform. I looked at the shoes for a minute, just in case. I found a cute pair of flip flops that I could wear tonight and at school.

Since that was all I needed, I went to check out. It was a quick process, and I was putting things into the trunk of the car in only a few minutes. Since I found everything I needed plus a few things at the shopping center, I planned on how I was going to change. I wasn't going all the way back to Bon Temps, especially since it was nearly nightfall. I decided to make a quick change in the back seat. I managed to do that at the lesser lit end of the parking lot with relative ease. My new shoes were comfortable.

Since I wanted it to look like it took a little longer, I drove to the bookstore on Industrial Avenue right down the road from Fangtasia. I ended up finding two books in the thirty minutes I was in there waiting for the bar to open. I dropped the books in the trunk and drove the short way to Fangtasia. I got my ID out and the $5 cover charge before I opened my door.

I walked over to the end of the small line. There was a blonde female vampire at the door dressed in black leather. She looked bored. When it was finally my turn, she looked me up and down before 'hmm'-ing. She ran her tongue along her lips and I saw her fangs peeking out slightly. Instead of being frightened, I was awed and curious.

"You smell delightful. ID please." I didn't hesitate to hand it over. She looked hungry. She glanced at it. "18?" I nodded. She stared at me for a moment. "As long as you don't drink you can come in. Why are you here anyways?"

I answered her honestly. "I'm curious."

She smirked a little. She reached behind her to a table to get a white bracelet. "Wrist." I held out my wrist and she put it on. I had the feeling it was a good thing she didn't see the scar from James. "Go on in. No charge." I was stunned.

"Thank you," I answered. She smirked in response.

She stepped to the side and I walked in the door. I looked around, surprised. It looked just like my dream. This included the blond haired, blue eyed vampire sitting on the throne in all black. I was nervous to meet his gaze like my dream so I went to the bar. The bartender was probably Native American and had extensive tattoos and his fangs extended. He had on dark jeans and black leather vest opened, revealing a sculpted chest.

"What'll it be?" he asked as I walked up. He glanced at the bracelet on my wrist.

"Do you have Coke?"

He nodded before getting a glass and filling it with the soda. He handed it to me and I gave him the money for the drink before I turned away. I found a table in the corner and sat down. I took a sip of Coke before putting it on the table. I looked around. It was disturbing how much, or rather how little, most everyone was wearing. I saw the blonde vampire from the door walk up the stairs of the stage and lean down to talk into the man's ear. I got a twisty feeling in my stomach a second before he turned to meet my gaze.

I was suddenly unaware of the rest of the bar. My eyesight was now tunnel vision on him. I briefly wondered if this was what Sam had with Emily; one look and it wasn't a choice anymore. He lifted up a hand towards me and moved two fingers in the sign of come here. I was confused but my body propelled itself into motion. I grabbed my drink and walked towards the stage.

A little over halfway there, a man stepped in front of me and grabbed my arm in what I assumed was supposed to be seductively. My face felt annoyed. Before he had the chance to say anything, Door Vampire was beside me.

"Let her go. Now." Her voice was calm and even, but you could tell she wasn't happy. He released me. "Now apologize."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said obediently. Then, he turned and left.

I turned to the vampire. "Thank you," I said, glad she interfered.

She shrugged before escorting me to the stage. Once up the stairs, she went to stand by Throne Vampire. He stared at me, making me uncomfortable beneath his gaze. I took a sip of my drink to have something to do. Finally, he spoke.

"Isabella Swan, 18, from Forks, Washington." His voice was velvety yet hard and filled with hidden desire plus a hint of boredom.

"How do you know that?" I thought I already knew though. She read my license.

Door Vampire pointed to her head. "I never forget a pretty face. You're in my vault."

I looked back and forth. "Do I get to know your names since you know mine?" I asked.

The man smirked momentarily, so fast I barely saw it. "Why not? I'm Eric, and this is Pam." Wow. Regular names, though so were the Cullens.

"Nice to meet you," I greeted; though I felt slightly silly, it seemed the right thing to do.

Eric smirked and let out a small chuckle. "You're entertaining; a rare quality in a breather."

"Thank you," I replied, not sure what else to say.

"Please... sit." He gestured his hand to one of the chairs beside him. He was actually smiling, though it was menacing. I nervously obliged. The chair was soft red velvet on the seat, smooth wood on the arms and legs, and fur on the back. I tried not to think if it was real or not.

I took another sip of Coke before holding it in my lap. I noticed the people throwing themselves at him, or attempting to do so, at the edge of the stage on the floor. They looked jealous, or desperate.

"So, I hear you are curious of us. What would you like to know?" he asked, leaning against the arm looking at me.

I was surprised into silence. He was offering to answer questions I had, but at what cost? Thankfully, my past relationship with the Cullens had me thinking about that. With that came my first line of questioning.

"You want to answer my questions?"

He smirked a little. "Yes."

"At what cost though?" I questioned.


	4. Eric

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~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

"You want to answer my questions?"

He smirked a little. "Yes."

"At what cost though?" I questioned.

I glimpsed surprise in his eyes for less than a second. He obviously didn't think a human would wonder about that, even more so since they only recently revealed themselves to the public and had maintained a positive image so far. No slips or controversy other than the Fellowship of the Sun, the anti-vampire church ran by Theodore Newlin that popped up overnight.

"Why would you think I want something in return for simply answering a few questions?"

I answered carefully. "Isn't that how it usually is? People usually want something back, human or vampire."

He smirked. "Very wise. You seem beyond your years."

I gave a short laugh. "My mom always joked I was born middle aged and grow older every year," I said before I thought.

He raised an eyebrow, before assuming his mostly expressionless face. "In response to your question, I merely want to ask you questions in return."

I thought about this and figured it was safe enough. "Okay." He smirked for about a second. "Does sunlight burn you?"

Both Eric and Pam chuckled. "Yes. Where do you live?"

I answered the unexpected question quickly. "Bon Temps. I just moved in with my great-aunt and cousin." I thought about the next question. Since he asked something relatively more personal than I did, I would do the same. "Is there a vampire government?"

He seemed surprised I would ask that. "Impressive. Not many would think of that. Yes, we do." He paused. "When did you move?"

That was easy. "Today." He raised an eyebrow. "Do vampires sleep in coffins?" The vampires I knew didn't sleep at all.

His lips twitched upwards. "Sometimes; we prefer beds." He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively and gave me a lust filled stare. Even in my small embarrassment, I felt an area between my legs pool with heat and moisture. This caused him to smirk. "Have you met vampires before?" he asked.

Oh no; the dreaded question that would no doubt raise more questions. "Yes." A small pause. "How long have you been a vampire?" I asked, knowing it would get personal.

He grinned. "Over 1100 years," he answered proudly. "Who were the vampires you met?"

I suddenly became aware of our audience when a vampire stepped in front of us. "Would you care to dance?" He held his hand out to me. Eric growled at him. He retracted it instantly and bowed.

"I'm sorry, sir." He kept his eyes lowered.

I watched in fascination as he spoke in another language to Pam. She grabbed the vampire's arm and pulled. He pulled back, clearly stronger. This angered Eric as he instantly stood up and had the vampire by his throat. The bar went silent, rapt with their attention on us.

"Don't ever do that again. Touch my progeny, and you will regret it. The human is mine." He looked out to the bar patrons. "Everyone will do well to remember that."

He let go of the vampire. "Don't come back." The other vampire nodded. "Pam."

She grabbed his arm again, and this time successfully pulled him away. Eric held his hand out to me. I took it. "Come," he stated and led me to a door that led to an office. He motioned for me to sit on the couch. He sat beside me.

"The vampires you met before, who are they?" he asked me again.

I took a deep breath. "A different breed; they're called Cold Ones."

With those two words, his fangs extended with a click sound. I think I heard a small growl as well. "You're in contact with Cold Ones?" he growled out.

I was regretting mentioning it. "No, not anymore. They left me in September. I had been dating the one. He called me a toy after claiming I was his mate. He left me in the woods."

He growled again. "No mate could ever do that to their partner."

I hesitated before asking what was confusing me. "What did you mean when you said I was yours?"

His fangs retracted. "It means they won't bother you anymore. Usually blood has already been exchanged though. Would you be willing to do that?" he asked.

A blood exchange. "You have blood?"

He chuckled. "Of course."

"Will it have any other effects?" I wondered.

He smirked. "Smart. You'll have heightened senses, increased strength, increased sex drive," he said the last part seductively and with a look that made me want to jump him right then. By the look he gave me, he could tell. "I'll also be able to find you if you are in danger."

I felt my face lose a little blood and my heart speed up at the mention of danger. My mind immediately went to Victoria and the pack of teenaged wolves that were defending Forks and La Push. His eyes and probably ears, noticed the change in me. His eyes narrowed.

"Are you in danger?" he asked.

Butterflies tumbled in my stomach. "I-I'm not sure."

He raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Not sure?"

I shook my head. "No, you see-" I took a deep breath. "My ex-boyfriend and his family are vampires." He nodded annoyed, knowing that part already. "There was a coven of nomads that came through the area we were playing baseball and they heard us. They wanted to join the game. One of them was a tracker." He sat up straighter, interested. "He caught my scent and started towards me. The family reacted, which made it his most exciting game ever. They hid me in Phoenix, but he found us and lured me to him using my Mom's voice on a recorded home video. He tried to kill me or turn me but the family came just in time. The one sucked the venom out from where I was bitten."

At this he growled, before demanding to see it. I held up my wrist and he took it in his hand to examine it closer. I couldn't help but notice that he was warmer than the Cullens. I suppose I was too nervous to notice before.

"What happened next?" he asked while still stroking the bite.

"They killed him, but the girl with him wasn't in Phoenix and they were mates." I felt bad for betraying the trust the wolves gave me, but I felt I didn't have a choice, and I found I couldn't stop. "She's been trying to get to me. The only reason she hasn't is because a pack of…" I wasn't sure I could say it after all.

He looked at me intently. "A pack of what?" he asked, clearly expecting an answer. I remained silent. "A pack of what?" he asked again, this time more forcefully.

I took a deep breath. "A pack of teenaged werewolves," I whispered.

His eyes hardened. "Why not the vampires?"

I felt the hole in my chest threaten to tear open. My free hand went automatically to wrap around my torso as tight as it could, like I was trying to hold myself together. "They left."

His eyes became like steel. "They left you alone and defenseless with a deranged mate after you?"

"Well, we hadn't heard from her. Besides, they left because one tried to attack me when I got a paper cut at a birthday party I didn't want."

This didn't seem to calm him. Just then, the phone rang. I took a deep breath as he reached for the offending machine. It creaked in his grip. He looked at the Caller ID before answering.

"Hello, Godric," he greeted.

He waited for a response before speaking in another language. This continued for a few minutes. I took the chance to take a sip of my drink. When he hung up, he looked at me for an immeasurable amount of time. He finally decided to speak.

"Are you willing to perform a blood exchange?" he asked straight to the point.

I thought about it. "Yes," I answered as I realized I had protection, possibly. Although, I felt bad bringing more people into this.

"I should also let you know I'll be able to feel your emotions."

I froze. "All the time?" He would know the effect it had on me when the Cullens left. Not good.

He smirked. "Yes." He seemed amused.

I sighed; it would be safer. "Okay."

He smiled. "Very well." He repositioned himself on the couch. "It will be easier and more comfortable if you lean against me, your back to my chest." I got into the position.

He leaned my neck to the left and I felt his tongue lick and his fangs graze my neck. It seemed to shoot straight to my nether regions that were now tingling. I felt two short pricks like needles enter the spot he had licked. His mouth and tongue sucked and lapped at my blood. It only hurt for a second before I moaned in pleasure; this felt amazing. Once he was done, he put his head back against the wall and moaned.

He moved his right arm and then I heard the sound of him biting. He put it in front of me, blood dripping from his wrist. I didn't breathe through my nose in case my aversion to blood kicked in; that would be the last thing I needed. He pressed his wrist to my mouth. "Drink," he ordered. I was concerned at first, but it actually tasted yummy. I drank until he told me to stop and pulled his arm away.

While I drank, I didn't completely register the moans, or the very large bulge pressing against my back. Oh my.

"You have an amazing taste, Isabella," he complimented me. "The best I've ever had I believe." Wow.

"Thank you," I said. "That's a high compliment coming from an 1100 year old vampire." We both smiled. "Yours is good too. Usually blood makes me sick." He laughed; he had no idea the real meaning. If he did, he would undoubtedly laugh even harder. Once he calmed, I added, "Plus, it's just Bella, not Isabella."

He smirked. "Very well, Bella."

I got the feeling that was his favorite expression. I took a sip of my drink. Then a thought of something important came to me. "What about where you bit me? Will it heal?"

He rolled his eyes. "It already has because of my blood."

I blushed. "Oh, okay."

In my search to find a distraction, I noticed the time on the clock on the wall. My eyes widened in surprise. "It's already past midnight?!" I shrieked. He looked amused. I wasn't sure I felt like driving all the way back to Bon Temps, but I didn't want to spend unnecessary money on a hotel. Thankfully, I started school Tuesday instead of tomorrow, so I didn't have to get up early in the morning.

What do I say to Adele and Sookie? "Do you know what I can say to my aunt and cousin as to why I've been out so late?" I asked Eric as I looked at my phone to see no calls or messages.

"Do you feel like driving back to Bon Temps?"

"Not really."

Before I could say more, he responded with, "Then say you lost track of time and are too tired to drive back so you'll stay at a hotel tonight. There are some stores open all night for vampires."

"How do I know if I have something from one of those stores though? More important, what hotel?" I asked.

He smirked. "I'll make sure you have at least one bag from one of the stores. The hotel would be my house." He eyes me seductively, and it worked. Heat pooled between my legs and I felt myself become wetter each second; tingles worked their way around. This pleased him and he let me know it.

I blushed and took deep breaths to calm down so I wouldn't tip off whoever answered the call I was about to make. I dialed the phone and Adele answered after three rings.

"Hello, dear. Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes, I'm okay. I just lost track of time."

I was nervous, mainly because I was a terrible liar.

"That's okay, Bella," she replied. I could hear the smile through the phone. "When are you going to be home?"

Uh-oh. I took a deep breath and looked at Eric. He nodded in encouragement. "Actually, I was thinking of getting a hotel room. I'm not sure I can make it back to Bon Temps."

"I understand. I'd rather have you come back in the morning instead of ending up in the hospital." _Or worse_ was the unspoken thought.

"Okay. Thank you for understanding."

"Of course, dear." I could hear a smile. "Good night, Bella."

"Good night, Aunt Adele."

With that, we hung up. I let out a breath. Eric was smirking and amused.

"What are you nervous for? Afraid she would say no?" I could hear suppressed laughter.

"No." I rolled my eyes. "I'm a terrible liar." He chuckled.

The door opened and Pam walked in. "You rang?" She put her hands on her hips.

He raised an eyebrow at her, which she remained unfazed. He sighed. "Go to the mall and get a few things for Bella so her aunt and cousin will believe the story we gave. Bring them to my house." She nodded.

Eric looked at me again. "Are you tired yet?"

"A little." I paused. "If she goes to the mall and shops for me, then it will be unbelievable. I don't have expensive taste, or the money to pay for a lot of it if I did."

He rolled his eyes. "You aren't paying for it, I am. Think of it as a gift."

"I don't like gifts, especially expensive ones." They stared at me incredulously.

"How can you say that?" Pam asked.

"The same way I can say I don't like shopping."

Her jaw dropped. "Don't like shopping? How can you not like shopping?"

I shrugged. "I never have."

They were both surprised. "You are one odd human," commented Pam. She walked over to his desk, picked up a piece of paper, and wrote something down. She walked over to me. "Write down your sizes." I did and gave it back. She set the pen down and walked out.

Once Pam left, Eric looked back at me. "Would you like to leave now?"

I nodded. "Yes, please."

He smirked before standing and opening the office door. He went into the hall and the music became much louder.

"Longshadow," I heard Eric call.

He came back in and sat beside me. A moment later, the bartender came in and closed the door.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm going to be leaving for the night, and Pam went shopping. Will you be okay to close up later?"

"Yeah, it won't be a problem."

Eric nodded and Longshadow left just as quickly as he came in, taking my now empty glass with him. Eric stood up and held his hand out; I took it. We walked out of the office, Eric locking it, and out the back door.

"Where are you parked?" he asked as we rounded the corner to the parking lot.

I started walking to my car while pulling the keys out. Once there, I unlocked the driver's side and opened the door. As I was about to climb in, Eric picked me up and had me in the passenger's seat in a couple of seconds. He was now in the driver's seat and starting the car.

"Buckle up," was all he said.

I did, but only because we were now going down the road. I realized this could work well. I could ask questions and not have to worry about driving too.

"Can we continue the questions, I ask you, and then you ask me?" I hoped he said yes.

He smirked. "Sure."

I smiled. "Okay." Which question did I want to ask first? "Everyone seems to act as though you're a threat." His eyebrow rose as he looked at me. "Are you their leader or something?"

He chuckled. "Observant. Yes, I am the Sheriff of Area 5, which is most of Northern Louisiana."

I was confused. "Sheriff? Like a cop?"

He chuckled. "My turn."

"No." He looked at me like he couldn't believe what I just said. "You asked me many questions in a row earlier and I had to explain my whole story."

His lips tightened a little, and his knuckles turned a little whiter. It was obvious he always got his way. "Fine. Yes, it's kind of like a cop. As Vampire Sheriff, it is my duty to keep the vampires in my area under control. I also… take care of the humans that commit crimes against vampires, and I punish the vampires who break one of our laws. I can either let a new vampire stay in my area or make them leave."

I was surprised he spoke that much. "Cool."

He chuckled. "Cool?" I blushed. "Okay, my turn." He turned serious. "Why did you come to Fangtasia?"

I blushed and sank into my seat. "I was curious."

He looked at me intently, making it clear that wasn't all and he could tell.

I sighed. "I had a dream of you on the throne before I came to Louisiana."

He put the car to a stop and rolled the window down to enter a code on a keypad. A gate opened in front of us and he pulled through to go down a long driveway. At the end was a large Victorian style mansion. It was white with a black roof, and flowers in front of the small covered porch that led to the door. Eric stopped the car in front.

Then, he turned to me and stared. "You had a dream about me in Fangtasia before you left Washington?"

"Before I heard of Fangtasia. I looked it up."

"When was this?" he asked curiously.

"On Thursday I think. It was the night vampires showed themselves," I answered.

He kept staring for a minute longer before opening the door and getting out. He had my door open in a flash. When I got out of the car, he closed the door and pushed me against it. His head leaned down and his lips suddenly met mine. It was electrifying and exciting. I never felt like this with Edward. He broke away so I could breathe and led me inside. It was a comfortable temperature inside, and the decoration was simply amazing. There were light hardwood floors and the walls were a rich brown. The furniture was of expensive taste and the walls had artwork, but there were few photographs in view.

He led me to the couch in the living room, which was a cream color and he put me on his lap. His kisses continued. My body was becoming heated and it was all central around my intimate parts. They were tingling wildly, nearly throbbing with need and want, and were now nearly soaking. My breathing was becoming erratic. He quickly repositioned us so I was underneath him. My back arched up to meet his body, and I encountered a very large bulge. His hand went underneath my body and glided under my shirt before running up and down my back.

Was I ready for this? Was I willing to let this happen? Did I want to continue?

The answer was yes, but we had to talk first.

"Wait," I spoke up, barely above a whisper. My voice came out raspy.

"What?" he grumbled out, his lips kissing my neck.

"I-" I took a deep breath. "I've never done this before."

At this, he stopped and looked at my face disbelievingly.

"My ex-boyfriend was over a hundred years old and was still a virgin. He wanted to wait until he got married, to keep one rule unbroken."

The look he gave me was incredulity and disbelief. "A one hundred year old virgin?"

I nodded, and then he laughed very hard. After a few minutes, he calmed down and then started kissing my neck again. I moaned. "One more quick question. Can vampires get humans pregnant?"

I scoffed. "No. Believe me, I would know." With that, he resumed kissing and my body started heating up more and more. Tension built up down below and I started kissing him, desperate with need.

Was I actually going to give my virginity away tonight to Eric, a vampire I just met a few hours ago? My body and heart said 'YES!' but my head wasn't sure.

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

What do you guys think? Should Bella give in to Eric? Let me know?


	5. All the Way

Thank you for the reviews, everyone!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

With that, he resumed kissing and my body started heating up more and more. Tension built up down below and I started kissing him, desperate with need.

Was I actually going to give my virginity away tonight to Eric, a vampire I just met a few hours ago? My body and heart said 'YES!' but my head wasn't sure.

I went with my heart and body, which could no longer resist and started kissing Eric harder. I moved my hands up and down the length of his sides and onto his back. His mouth moved along my neck and up to my lips. Everywhere they touched left a trail of fire on my skin. His hands drifted lower and up under my shirt. As his hands traveled upwards, my now sensitive skin had lightning bolts firing between his fingers and my body. Once he reached my breast, he started massaging it. I moaned at the feeling it created inside of me. My breathing and heart rate sped up.

"Let's go somewhere more comfortable," I heard him mumble against my neck.

I nodded. "Okay."

He instantly picked me up and vampire sped up to a bedroom. I felt the soft fabric of the blanket against my back. He took my shirt off in a fraction of a second. I was now laying there in my jeans and bra; my shoes were lying forgotten on the floor downstairs by the couch. He took his shirt off too, followed by the rest of his clothes. He pulled my jeans down quickly, leaving me in my panties and bra. He stood there admiring me before climbing back on the bed. I sat up and he reached around to undo my black lacy bra. I slid off my shoulders and I realized I didn't care. I was self-conscious about myself. I was too focused on the sight in front of me.

He leaned his head down to the bottom of my stomach, planting a kiss at the bottom of my stomach before he pulled them off of me in a fluid motion that was too quick for my eyes. I knew I would have to replace them, but I didn't care. I was now completely without clothes on while on top of a bed about to have sex for the first time with the vampire I just me a few hours ago.

His body was in spectacular shape, with contoured muscles all through his chest, long toned legs, muscular arms, and was very well endowed. He leered at my body before he moved his body to where his head was next to mine. He started kissing me again feverishly. I moaned into his mouth. His right hand started down the side of my body, sending shivers of pleasure coursing through my veins. They landed on my waist, then my hips, and then unexpectedly my most intimate parts. I felt his fingers start running through my folds, igniting a new kind of fire sparked by his fingers. I felt tingles everywhere around there, spreading the fire of passion as his fingers worked their magic. I could only imagine how much practice he has had; after all, he was over 1000 years old.

There was a pressure building up quickly, creating more fire and tingles. All of a sudden, it was like an explosion. My mind was in bliss and I couldn't think coherently. There was a sound like a small scream combined with a moan, and then realized it was me. I couldn't believe the feeling of this; it was incredible. As the feeling relaxed, I was extremely aware of Eric hovering over me and that it was him who created the feeling.

"Wow," I breathed out.

He smirked. "That is the first of many, I can assure you."

With that, he started working his hands again, but this time, he inserted a finger into my core, pumping it in and out. This feeling was even more amazing. He added another finger, and then another. It didn't take long for the next orgasm to hit, and it was stronger than the last. Once I calmed down again, Eric removed his hand, and then repositioned himself. He moved my legs further apart and to the side; he hovered over me, still kissing me. He looked me in the eyes before speaking.

"This will hurt at first, since it's your first time, but it will pass quickly." I nodded. "Would you like me to make that part as quick as possible?"

I nodded again, not knowing what to expect. I felt something at my entrance, and then he was inside me. He moved back and forth at the beginning for a moment, allowing me to get used to the feeling, which felt perfect, like we were meant to fit into each other like two puzzle pieces. Suddenly, he slammed into me hard and fast. A searing pain shot through me, making me scream out. Once the pain subsided, Eric began moving again. He moved in and out, which felt beyond amazing. A tingling, burning pressure like before built up except it was stronger. Eric started going faster. The only sounds were our heavy breathing, moaning, and the sound when skin makes contact with skin.

I started getting closer, and my breathing became shallower. Suddenly, my nerves exploded into a firework of pleasure with Eric being the star of the show, to me at least. My head turned itself to the side of its own accord. Eric shuddered above me, leaning his head down to my neck. I felt a pierce in my skin and felt my blood being drained out of my body. I moaned; I apparently liked being fed on. After a few moments, he stopped drinking. He bit into his wrist and put it to my mouth. I started drinking and drank until he pulled his wrist away.

We continued having sex for a while, without the blood exchange though. After an hour or so, we were both lying on the bed. I was blissful and the happiest I have ever been, especially in the past few months. I had a smile on my face that wouldn't go away.

"That was amazing," I said.

He smirked. "It certainly was."

He was looking at me, as I was him.

"I feel like I could keep doing this forever, never leaving the room, or bed."

He smirked again. "That makes two of us." He stared at me for a moment. "Are you getting hungry?"

I thought for a second, then realized, "Yeah, a little."

He nodded. "Okay. First though," his eyes took on a look filled with mirth and mischief. "Let's take a shower and clean up."

I nodded. He picked me up and zoomed to the bathroom. He sat me down as he adjusted the temperature of the water. Once it was warmed up, we climbed in the giant shower and then started cleaning each other, which led to another round of love making, then another round of cleaning up. We finally finished and I was wrapped into a big fluffy towel. I smiled.

We dried off before heading into the bedroom again to get dressed. He insisted I change into one of his shirts. Thankfully, I had bought some panties at the store. He was in a pair of boxers, and that's it. We went down to the bottom floor; in the living room sat a smirking Pam in an outfit that would look right on a soccer mom.

"Have fun?" she leered.

Eric rolled his eyes, obviously used to her antics but still annoyed.

"Yes, quite." He looked at the bags surrounding her. "Did you get everything I asked for?"

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "Of course. It's not like I could _not_."

He glared at her in a warning. She sighed in obvious defeat.

"Behave." She nodded. He looked back to me. "I hope you like Chinese."

He picked up one of the bags in front of Pam and handed it to me. Inside were containers of Chinese food and some chopsticks. I sat on the couch, Eric beside me, and started eating. It was really yummy. Eric nodded towards Pam, who started to tell me what was in each bag. As I ate, Pam also explained to me what was in the bag.

"So, there are shirts, shorts, skirts, jeans, undergarments, nightwear, shoes, and accessories. The accessories and shoes are color coordinated, as are the undergarments and outfits. If you need help coordinating them, let me know the night before. Okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah; thank you, both of you." The moved their heads in acknowledgement. "Um…" I looked at Pam. "Do you have a… recommendation for the first day of school?"

She smiled. "Oh, yes. I believe I do."

She started rummaging through the bags and pulled out a blood red chiffon beaded shirt, a black skirt that _might_ reach my knees, and a pair of black shiny death traps (otherwise known as high heels). My mouth dropped open.

"High heels?" my voice screeched. "I can't wear high heels without falling down and breaking something!"

She raised her eyebrow as if to say 'really?' before shoving the shoes towards me. "At the very least, try them on."

I shook my head. She sighed and rolled her eyes. Suddenly she was right in front of me, and I jumped at the sight. She ignored my reaction and Eric rolled his eyes. She put the shoes on my feet and pulled me up. She made sure I wasn't going to fall before letting me go. I looked to Eric for help.

"She is very persistent. She will get you to do this at some point. You may as well get it over with while you can be healed easily if you do get injured." He looked bored and annoyed, and slightly like a parent who was entertaining their child's idea.

I sighed then started walking to the opposite side of the room and back. Surprisingly, I didn't trip or fall once. I didn't even wobble. How is this possible?

The shock must have been showing on my face, because Pam inquired, "You look surprised. Why?"

"Normally, I fall taking a couple of steps, even if I'm in sneakers." I could hear the amazement in my voice.

Pam came closer to me and leaned in to sniff near my neck. "Mm… you smell delightful, and at the same time like Eric." She looked to him and smirked.

I looked to see what his reaction was. He looked pleased, and suspiciously smug. She smiled before looking back at me. "Vampire blood, sweetie. You have it in you, and it will nearly eliminate your balance problems."

I thought about that for a moment. "Cool."

They both chuckled at that. "So, you can wear the high heels."

I nodded. "Okay."

She smiled then before putting the clothes and shoes back into the bags. She stood up and started towards the door. She turned to Eric as she got to the exit of the room.

"I'll see you tomorrow. I'm going home."

He nodded in response and she left. He watched me as I finished eating. Once I was finished, he put the containers in a bag and left the room for a minute before coming back without it. I assumed he threw them out. He sat down and stared at me for a minute before speaking.

"Just so you know, if we have another blood exchange, it will create a permanent blood bond."

This information surprised me. "Why three?"

He raised an eyebrow. "That's the question you want to ask?" He laughed once before continuing. "I am not sure why it is three, but I assume it has something to do with the magic that created us. The number three is powerful in magic."

I nodded. "Okay." I looked around the room and found a clock. It read 3:25 am. I turned to Eric. "I need to go to sleep soon."

He stood then and held out his hand, which I took. He led me through the house to a bedroom on the ground floor, making sure I knew how to get back to the front door. He told me how to leave the house during the day time and how to secure it back. He rushed out for a moment before coming back with a bag that had a toothbrush and toothpaste. He pointed out the bathroom and I quickly brushed my teeth before I went back into the bedroom and lied on the bed beside Eric, except this time under the blanket.

This was something I wasn't used to. Edward always slept on top of the blankets so he wouldn't freeze me. I could certainly get used to this. I can't wait until I graduated. I could spend more time with Eric and at Fangtasia; maybe I could even get to know Pam better. I wondered if I could graduate early. I looked up at Eric, who was looking at me, and I smiled. I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes. I fell asleep quickly after that.

I woke up the next morning to an empty bed. I moved my hand around where Eric had been laying and came in contact with a piece of paper. I picked it up and on the front was my name in an elegant script. I opened it up and read it.

_Bella,_

_As much as I would love to be waking up in the morning with you, I regretfully cannot. Be careful travelling back to Bon Temps. Your bags have been put into your trunk, and your backseat. I have also inserted my number and Pam's number into your cellphone. Call if you need anything. I will see you soon._

_Eric_

I was glad; glad that he thought to do that for me, and glad that I didn't have to carry all those bags to the car. I realized the bracelet from the bar was removed from my wrist at some point. I got up and performed my morning routine then got dressed in the clothes left for me. I found my pocket book and looked at my phone. It was 10 am.

I went out of the bedroom and found my way to the front door. Remembering the procedure for leaving to make sure Eric stayed safe during the day, I made sure I did it right before going to my car and driving down the driveway. I entered the code and went through the gate. I sat at the end of the drive past the gate and took my phone out. I dialed the Stackhouse residence.

Adele answered quickly. "Hello?"

I smiled. "Hi, Aunt Adele."

Her smile could be heard over the phone. "Bella. How are you?"

"I'm good. I'm about to head back to Bon Temps. I was calling to let you know I was okay and ask if you need anything as I'm heading back."

"Oh, that's okay, dear. I don't need anything. Thank you for asking though!"

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Alright dear."

With that, we hung up and I pulled out onto the road and after twenty minutes, I found my way back to the road to take me back to Bon Temps. It was a long, winding, and green trip on the Parish Road. I couldn't wait to get back because I would be off the road. I listened to the radio on the way, singing with the songs I knew. After an hour, I finally arrived. I turned onto Hummingbird Road and then the driveway to the old Stackhouse residence.

There was a black truck with pink and aqua swirls on the sides. Adele was in the yard by the flowers, and looked up when she heard the car. She smiled and stood up. I parked the car, and got out to hug Adele.

"Welcome back, Bella. I hope you found your way alright."

I smiled a little; she was so sweet. "For the most part. I had a little trouble finding my way out of Shreveport, but I eventually got on the right road," I explained.

"That's good. Do you need any help bringing anything in? Jason's here; he can help."

Even though Jason and I hadn't met in years, I did like the prospect of having some help carrying all the bags that Pam brought me.

"That would be great." I smiled.

She turned and yelled towards the house, "Jason, come out here please."

A minute later, a man with blonde hair a little darker than Sookie's and cut short, blue eyes, and had on blue jeans, boots, and a gray t-shirt that said Bon Temps Football came out. He walked over to us.

"Gran, who's this?" he asked, with a very thick Southern accent.

"This is Bella. She's come here to finish school."

"Oh yeah. I remember." He held out his hand to shake, which I did. "Nice to see you again."

"You too," I replied.

"Jason, please be a dear and help Bella carry her bags to her room. It's upstairs."

He nodded. "Of course."

I went to the trunk and opened it, which elicited a "Wow" from Jason and Adele.

My trunk was packed with what Pam bought. I sighed, shook my head, and rolled my eyes. Jason turned to me with a look of shock on his face.

"You bought all of this stuff?"

"Not quite. I'll explain later."

He nodded and started grabbing the bags; I grabbed some too. It took two trips, but we eventually got everything in my room. Afterwards, Jason, Adele, and I were in the living room with glasses of iced tea.

"So, Bella, where did you get all of the clothes? Some of them aren't exactly cheap."

I figured as much. I sighed, knowing I would tell about part of what happened last night. "Well, last night, while I was shopping, I saw a place named Fangtasia. It was a vampire bar. I was curious and went inside. There was a vampire on a throne on a stage. He owns the bar and started flirting with me. He was quite the charmer. Anyways, we talked a while, which is where I lost track of time." I blushed looking down at the floor. My eyes peeked up at Adele, who was nearly chuckling and smiling. "Instead of paying for a hotel room, he offered for me to stay at his house. He had someone go and buy me some clothes, except she bought way too many obviously."

Adele and Jason both laughed at that; Jason agreed with me.

"Why didn't you just tell me that instead, Bella?" Adele asked.

I blushed and looked down. "I thought you wouldn't like it if I went to a vampire bar."

"Oh, Bella, that may be how Charlie thinks, but I certainly don't mind." She paused a moment then perked up. "Ooh, do you think he was in the war?"

I looked at her confused. "War?"

She smiled and looked excited. "Yes, the Civil War."

I thought about it. "I don't know."

After that, we lapsed into silence. It continued for a while, before Adele got up to make lunch. I asked her if she needed help, but she said she didn't. That left Jason and I alone in the living room, which was a bit uncomfortable. I thought of something that would break the silence.

"So," my voice broke him out of his thoughts. "Do you have any recommendations for going to Bon Temps High School?"

He thought a little. "Yeah, don't let nobody walk all over you. If they do, just let me know. I'll take care of 'em for ya."

I smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded before we lapsed back into silence again. Thankfully, Adele came out soon saying lunch was ready. All of us went into the kitchen and sat down. She had made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cole slaw. It was delicious. After eating, we put the dishes in the dishwasher, and headed into the living room.

Jason turned on the television and Adele got out a knitting kit. I found one of my books and began to read. After about fifteen minutes, the doorbell rang. I got up and answered it. On the other side was the package delivery person, who had brought the boxes from Forks. With Jason's help, we got them up to my room in no time. We thanked him and he left. I went upstairs to unpack, which only took about twenty minutes. I hadn't packed much; most of it was my books. I went back downstairs and began reading again while Jason watched basketball and Adele knitted. When I finished another chapter, a knock sounded at the door. I answered this one too.

"Bella Swan?" the man asked. He was in a uniform and had a few boxes in hand, along with the thing you sign to get the packages.

"That's me," I answered.

"Sign here please." He held out the device and handed me a stylus. I signed my name and he handed me the boxes. "Have a good day, ma'am." He nodded goodbye and got back in his truck.

With a confused expression, I sat down in the living room.

"Who was that, Bella?" Adele asked.

"A delivery person," I replied. "But I didn't order anything."

I tried opening the first box, but there were tape on all of them I found out. When he saw me struggle, Jason came over with his knife.

"Here you go," he said, handing me the dangerous and sharp object.

I was hesitant. "I don't know if that's a good idea."

He looked confused. "Why?"

My cheeks flushed red as I explained. "I'm clumsy. I'm liable to cut myself."

He nodded before quickly cutting the tape. I thanked him as he sat back down, and then opened the first box which was a lilac purple. Inside was a stunning bouquet of flowers. There were red roses with a ribbon wrapped around them, already having the thorns taken off. There was a note attached. It read:

_Bella, I hope you enjoyed last night as much as I did. See you soon, lover. Enjoy the flowers. Eric_

I smiled. I felt a warm feeling gathering in my stomach at the thought of last night's events. I held them up some to look at them better and smelled them; they had a wonderful aroma.

"Oh, Bella, they are beautiful," Adele exclaimed. "Let me go find a vase for you to put them in, dear."

I smiled. "Thank you."

I smelled the roses until she came back and we put them in the vase, setting it on the table until I opened the rest.

"Who were they from?" she questioned.

"Eric."

She smiled. "That's nice."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

"A vampire sent you flowers?" Jason asked doubtfully.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes."

I picked up the next box. It was white and thin. I opened the lid and inside was a stack of papers. They were for a placement test for the school. I had heard about these. If you took the test and passed, you could graduate high school early. There was a note on top.

_Bella, you seem smarter than your grade level. I have sent you these in the hope you might take the test and graduate sooner. I will explain more about this later. Eric_

I was surprised. Eric thought I was smarter than the school. I doubted that.

"What are those?" Jason asked.

"It's the papers to request a placement test that allows you to graduate early."

"Why did you get them?" he wondered.

"Eric thinks I'm smarter than them," I chuckled out.

Adele smiled and chuckled as well. "Perceptive. Are you going to take it?"

I thought. It would mean I might get to spend more time at Fangtasia with Eric, and I wouldn't have to worry about getting back home in time for school.

"Yeah, I think I will." I smiled, excited at the possibility.

Jason and Adele smiled at me. "Good luck," Jason said.

"Thank you," I replied.

I put the papers down beside me and picked up the last box. It was larger and was in a gold box that had a fancy and elegant script on the top that was in what looked like French. I opened it and inside was a dress that was black silk, had beading under where my breasts would stop, and went down to about mid-thigh. There was also a pair of black high heels and a necklace that looked like real diamonds. I let out a shocked breath. Jason whistled and Adele looked at the outfit thrilled. I had no doubt that Pam was behind this outfit; however, I was sure Eric put her up to it. There was yet another note with the clothes.

_Bella, I wish for you to wear this tonight to Fangtasia. I will pick you up at 7:00. Eric_

I was stunned. He wanted me to go to Fangtasia again tonight. I looked at the clock on the wall. It read 2:15. I had plenty of time.

"So, what's that for?" Jason wanted to know.

"Eric wants me to come back tonight to Fangtasia. He's going to pick me up."

Adele smiled and clapped. "That's wonderful!"

I agreed, and brought my things upstairs to my room. I got ready to go out and grabbed my pocket book and keys. I also brought the papers from Forks too in case they would take them now. I sat down and filled the form out to take the placement test. It only took around ten minutes, and I was on my way down the steps. Jason and Adele were still sitting in the living room.

"Hey, Jason, how do you get to the school from here?"

He explained it to me and told me just to call the house if I got lost or couldn't find it. I thanked him and left to hand in the papers. Finding the school wasn't too hard with how Jason explained it. I pulled into the parking lot in a visitor's parking place and then made my way inside. The office was right inside the door on the right. I walked up to the secretary's desk.

"Excuse me."

She turned around to face me with a large smile on her face. "Yes, may I help you?"

I smiled back. "Yes, please. I'm Bella Swan."

"Oh, yes. You're the girl from Washington."

I nodded. "Yes, I am. I came to hand in the papers today instead of waiting until tomorrow morning. Is that okay?"

She shook her head. "Yes, it's fine."

I smiled in relief and pulled out the papers from Forks High before handing them to her. She took them and scanned over them quickly before entering some things into the computer. She clicked a button and something printed out. She turned towards me, handing me two pieces of paper.

"Okay, here is your schedule and a map of the school," she explained.

I nodded. "Okay. Thank you." I pulled out the other papers. "Um… I have something else for you."

She nodded and took the papers. She looked them over, and then turned to the computer. She typed in a few things and then wrote down a couple of things.

"Okay," she said, handing me the paper. "Your test has already been paid for and you can take it tomorrow morning. It starts at 8:30, but we would like you to be here at least fifteen minutes before. You'll need only a pencil; we'll give you a calculator to use. If you don't pass, you'll start your classes on Wednesday instead. If you pass, you'll just have to sign a couple of papers and won't have to come back until June to participate in the graduation ceremony if you wish." After that, she explained where to come tomorrow.

I nodded and smiled. "Thank you very much."

She smiled back. "You're welcome. Good luck tomorrow!"

I thanked her again and left the office to my car. Getting in, I started it and pulled out of the parking lot, making my way back to the house. I was excited. I could possibly graduate tomorrow and I got to see Eric tonight. I smiled, singing with the radio as I drove.


	6. Meeting Bella

Thank you for the reviews everyone! I'm glad you like it! It's time for a change!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

Eric's POV!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

It was boring sitting here, making the humans become enthralled by the sight of a vampire. The day after the Great Revelation, Pam and I opened Fangtasia. This was earlier this week, and already I was bored of entertaining them. I heard her greeting a young girl, too young than should come in. She let her come in, but gave her a bracelet. She had said she was 'curious' about us. This would be interesting, I could feel it. As she came in she observed the bar, then turned her attention to me. I let her look for a minute before turning in her direction. She had already turned away, and headed towards the bar.

I heard as she asked for a soda. Pam walked up on to the stage and leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"Det är en ung tjej som bara kom in. Isabella Swan, 18, från Forks, Washington. Något är annorlunda med henne," she told me. "Jag rekommenderar att du kallar nenne, att lära sig me rom henne." (_There is a young girl that just came in. Isabella Swan, 18, from Forks, Washington. Something is different about her._) (_I recommend you summon her, to learn more about her._)

The girl must be interesting. "Vad tror du är annorlunda?" I asked. (_What do you think is different?_)

"Jag är inte säker, men del är något vi måste ta reda på," she answered. (_I'm not sure, but it is something we need to find out._)

I looked over at the girl, aware she was watching our exchange. I lifted my hand and moved two fingers, telling her to come. Though her face looked confused, she came towards me after grabbing her drink. When she was halfway there, a male vampire stepped in her way and grabbed her arm. She looked annoyed.

"Pam," was all I had to say before my child rushed over to the girl's side.

"Let her go. Now." Her voice was calm, but I could feel her anger through our bond. The vampire let her go. "Now apologize."

He did, before he turned and left the bar.

"Thank you," I heard the girl say. Her voice was quiet and sounded shy. Pam shrugged before bringing her to the stage. Pam stood at my side as Isabella stood in front of me. She took a sip of her drink, and a minute later I finally spoke.

"Isabella Swan, 18, from Forks, Washington."

"How do you know that?" she asked.

Pam pointed to her head. "I never forget a pretty face. You're in my vault."

She looked between the both of us. "Do I get to know your names since you know mine?" she asked.

I smirked, barely quickly enough for a human to see. "Why not? I'm Eric, and this is Pam."

"Nice to meet you," she said.

I smirked and let out a small chuckle. "You're entertaining; a rare quality in a breather."

"Thank you."

"Please… sit." I gestured my hand to the chair on my right. I was smiling, but it was sinister. She took another sip of her drink, before looking around. She looked at the pathetic humans throwing themselves towards us.

"So, I hear you are curious of us. What would you like to know?" I asked. I leaned against the arm of my chair, and looked at her.

She looked surprised, but after a minute answered. "You want to answer my questions?"

I smirked a little. "Yes."

"At what cost though?"

I was surprised; most humans don't think that far ahead, just jump at the prospect of having their questions answered not caring about the consequences. "Why would you think I want something in return for simply answering a few questions?" I asked her.

"Isn't that how it usually is? People usually want something back, human or vampire," she answered, her voice careful.

I smirked. "Very wise. You seem beyond your years."

She gave a short laugh. "My mom always joked I was born middle aged and grow older every year."

I raised an eyebrow before putting my mask back on. "In response to your question, I merely want to ask you questions in return."

Her face turned thoughtful. "Okay." I smirked for a second. "Does sunlight burn you?"

Pam and I both chuckled. "Yes. Where do you live?"

She answered quickly. "Bon Temps. I just moved in with my great-aunt and cousin." She paused. "Is there a vampire government?"

That was surprising. "Impressive. Not many would think of that. Yes, we do." I paused. "When did you move?"

"Today." I raised an eyebrow. "Do vampires sleep in coffins?"

I felt my lips twitched up. "Sometimes; we prefer beds." I moved my eyebrows up and down suggestively and gave a stare filled with lust. It worked; I could smell her arousal. I put a large smirk on my face since it worked. "Have you met vampires before?"

Her heart jumped a beat, and she became nervous. "Yes. How long have you been a vampire?"

I grinned. "Over 1100 years," I answered, proud of my age and what I have accomplished. "Who were the vampires you met?"

At this moment, a very dumb vampire stepped onto the stage in front of us. "Would you care to dance?" He held his hand out to Isabella. I growled at him. He retracted it instantly and bowed, obviously knowing who I am.

"I'm sorry, sir." He kept his eyes lowered.

"Eskortera honom ut ur lokalen," I ordered Pam. (_Escort him out of the premises._)

She nodded, then grabbed his arm and pulled. He pulled back, being older than Pam. I instantly stood up and had the vampire by his throat, growling at inhuman frequencies. How dare he touch my progeny?! The bar went silent, rapt with their attention on us.

"Don't ever do that again. Touch my progeny, and you will regret it. The human is mine." I looked to the patrons in my bar. "Everyone will do well to remember that."

He let go of the vampire. "Don't come back." The other vampire nodded. "Pam."

She grabbed his arm again, and this time successfully pulled him away. I held out my hand to Isabella, and she took it. "Come." I led her to my office and motioned for her to sit on the couch. I sat beside her. I could hear Pam, who was telling off the vampire, who made her break a finger nail.

"The vampires you met before, who are they?" I asked again.

She took a deep breath as her heart rate sped up a little. "A different breed; they're called Cold Ones."

My fangs extended with a click, and I growled. "You're in contact with Cold Ones?" I growled out. I hated those sparkly mother fuckers. They were nearly uncontrollable when it came to their thirst. They were also far weaker than us, even at the newborn stage. They also caused the whole vampire race to be nearly exposed in the late 1800s with their ridiculous Newborn Wars. Incompetent morons!

Her face showed regret. "No, not anymore. They left me in September. I had been dating the one. He called me a toy after claiming I was his mate. He left me in the woods."

I growled again. "No mate could ever do that to their partner."

She looked hesitant and confused. "What did you mean when you said I was yours?"

My fangs retracted. "It means they won't bother you anymore. Usually blood has already been exchanged though. Would you be willing to do that?" I asked.

A blood exchange. "You have blood?"

I chuckled. "Of course."

"Will it have any other effects?" she wondered.

I smirked. "Smart. You'll have heightened senses, increased strength, increased sex drive," I said the last with a seductive leer and her arousal heightened. I smirked, letting her know I could sense it. "I'll also be able to find you if you are in danger."

Her face lost part of its color and her heart rate sped up when I said danger. My eyes narrowed. "Are you in danger?" I asked. If she were, it may bring some problems to my area, and as Sheriff, I would have to deal with this. It would be nice to have a heads up.

"I-I'm not sure," she replied.

I raised an eyebrow, not believing what she just said. "Not sure?"

She shook her head. "No, you see-" She took a deep breath. "My ex-boyfriend and his family are vampires." I nodded annoyed. I already knew that. "There was a coven of nomads that came through the area we were playing baseball and they heard us. They wanted to join the game. One of them was a tracker." I sat up straighter, as I was interested in hearing about a tracker; they were rare. "He caught my scent and started towards me. The family reacted, which made it his most exciting game ever. They hid me in Phoenix, but he found us and lured me to him using my Mom's voice on a recorded home video. He tried to kill me or turn me but the family came just in time. The one sucked the venom out from where I was bitten."

I growled, then demanded to see it. She held up her wrist and I grabbed it carefully, pulling it closer to examine it. That spot was colder than the rest of her wrist.

"What happened next?" I asked while still rubbing the bite. This seriously pissed me off.

"They killed him, but the girl with him wasn't in Phoenix and they were mates. She's been trying to get to me. The only reason she hasn't is because a pack of..." She stopped there.

I looked at her intently. "A pack of what?" I asked. She remained silent. "A pack of what?" I asked again with more force. I was going to get an answer.

She took a deep breath. "A pack of teenaged werewolves," she whispered.

My eyes hardened; rage coursed through my veins at the mention of werewolves. "Why not the vampires?"

Her hand went to her torso and wrapped around it as tight as it could go. "They left."

My eyes became harder, and my rage went up to nearly uncontrollable. My voice was barely restrained as spoke. "They left you alone and defenseless with a deranged mate after you?"

"Well we hadn't heard from her. Besides, they left because one tried to attack me when I got a paper cut at a birthday part I didn't want."

This didn't calm me, it only made me more outraged. I was ready to lose it. Hunt them down and kill them slowly for making her suffer. The phone rang. I reached for the offending machine; it creaked in my grip. I looked at the Caller ID and saw my maker's name before answering.

"Hello, Godric," I greeted.

"Hello, Eric. What is angering you so much?" he asked me.

"Det är en tjej som kom in i baren ikväll. Hon daterade en kall, som lämnade sitt försvarslösa mot en sinnesrubbad kompis med en vampyr de dödade. Hon måste förlita sig på en flock unga varulvar för skydd." I sneered at the word werewolves. (_There is a girl who came into the bar tonight. She dated a Cold One, who left her defenseless against a deranged mate of a vampire they killed. She has to rely on a pack of teenaged werewolves for protection._)

He switched to my native tongue as well, I suppose to help calm me. "Eric, lugna dig. Om de inte kommer in iditt område, har du ingen anledning att skada dem. Du måste se till att hålla huvudet kallt. En vampyr är aldrig i händerna på sina känslor, han dominerar dem." (_Eric, calm yourself. Unless they come into your area, you have no reason to harm them. You must keep a clear head. A vampire is never at the mercy of his emotions; he dominates them._)

He repeated the phrase he first told me years ago. I knew he was right, but right now it made me annoyed. I knew he could sense it, as he sighed.

"Du hittar det irriterande om du vill, men du måste se till att hålla en lugn huvud, min son. Du vill inte bli onödigt involverad i kalla dem," Godric told me. (_You can find it annoying if you wish, but you must be sure to keep a calm head, my son. You do not wish to get unnecessarily involved with Cold Ones._)

"Det är inte i onödan. Jag tror att människor är kanske min kompis," I informed my maker. (_It isn't unnecessarily. I believe the human is possibly my mate._)

All I heard was silence for a full minute. "Är du säker?" (_Are you sure?_)

"Jag är mest säker. Jag ska tareda senare helt. Jag ska låta dig veta." (_I'm mostly sure. I'll find out later completely. I'll let you know._)

He sighed. "Mycket bra. Jag ska tala med dig senare. Hej då." (_Very well. I will speak to you later. Goodbye._)

"Hej då." (_Goodbye._)

With that, we hung up. I stared at Isabella as I put my thoughts together. Though I knew Godric was right, I didn't want to stay put and do nothing. I wanted to hunt down the Cold Ones and end them. I could protect her better if she had my blood.

"Are you willing to perform a blood exchange?"

She thought before answering. "Yes."

"I should also let you know I'll be able to feel your emotions." I told her.

Her body tensed. "All the time?" she asked.

I smirked back, amused at her reaction. "Yes."

She sighed. "Okay."

I smiled. "Very well." I moved until my back was against the arm of the couch. "It will be easier and more comfortable if you lean against me, your back to my chest." What I didn't tell her is the erotic effects it would produce. She moved into the position I requested. I quite liked the feeling of her in my arms.

I tilted her neck to the left for better access and licked her neck and let my fangs graze the area where I licked. I smelled her arousal, which made excited. I bit into her neck and started sucking her blood. It was like freesias and oranges. She moaned in pleasure. When I finished, I leaned my head back against the wall and moaned in pleasure. Hers was the best blood I've ever tasted.

I moved my right arm and bit into my wrist. I put it in front of her face, the blood dripping down my wrist. I pressed my wrist to her mouth. "Drink," I ordered her. She obeyed and started drinking the blood. I moaned; this was feeling amazing. I felt myself becoming more aroused by the second. She drank until I told her to stop and pulled my arm away.

"You have an amazing taste, Isabella," I complimented her. "The best I've ever had I believe." I was still feeling the amazing taste of her blood on my tongue.

"Thank you," she said. "That's a high compliment coming from an 1100 year old vampire." We both smiled. "Yours is good too. Usually blood makes me sick." After she said that, I started laughing hard. That was just too funny; blood made her sick and she may be my mate, which means I would eventually turn her. Once I calmed some, she continued. "Plus, it's just Bella, not Isabella."

I smirked. "Very well, Bella."

She took a sip of her drink. "What about where you bit me? Will it heal?"

I rolled my eyes. "It already has because of my blood."

She blushed. "Oh, okay."

Her eyes started roaming around, landing on the clock, when her eyes widened in surprise. "It's already past midnight?!" she shrieked. This amused me. "Do you know what I can say to my aunt and cousin as to why I've been out so late?" she asked me as she pulled out her phone and looked at it.

"Do you feel like driving back to Bon Temps?"

"Not really," she answered.

"Then say you lost track of time and are too tired to drive back so you'll stay at a hotel tonight. There are some stores open all night for vampires," I offered.

"How do I know if I have something from one of those stores though? More important, what hotel?" she asked.

I smirked. "I'll make sure you have at least one bag from one of the stores. The hotel would be my house." I looked at her seductively, and then smelled her arousal. I smirked, pleased at this reaction.

She blushed and took deep breaths. She dialed a number and an old woman answered after a few rings. Bella was nervous, but she was able to place the call successfully. I nodded my head in encouragement once when she needed it. As soon as she hung up, I smirked at her, amused. I also called Pam through our telepathic link.

"What are you nervous for? Afraid she would say no?" I managed to suppress my laughter, but barely.

"No." She rolled her eyes. "I'm a terrible liar." I chuckled at this.

The door opened and Pam walked in. "You rang?" She put her hands on her hips, giving me a bit of an attitude. I raised an eyebrow at her, hoping she would take the hint. She didn't, and instead told me to 'get over it' telepathically.

I sighed; I had to turn the one who was disobedient quite often, though very loyal. "Go to the mall and get a few things for Bella so her aunt and cousin will believe the story we gave. Bring them to my house." She nodded.

I turned back to Bella. "Are you tired yet?"

"A little." She paused. "If she goes to the mall and shops for me, then it will be unbelievable. I don't have expensive taste, or the money to pay for a lot of it if I did."

I rolled my eyes. "You aren't paying for it, I am. Think of it as a gift."

"I don't like gifts, especially expensive ones," she replied. Pam and I stared at her surprised.

"How can you say that?" Pam asked.

"The same way I can say I don't like shopping."

Her jaw dropped. "Don't like shopping? How can you not like shopping?"

I sympathized with Bella on that. After one shopping expedition with Pam, I never want to go again. That was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.

Bella shrugged. "I never have."

We were both surprised; I was surprised because most females loved shopping..

"You are one odd human," commented Pam. She walked over to my desk, picked up a piece of paper, and wrote something down. She walked over to Bella. "Write down your sizes." She did and gave it back. Pam set the pen down and walked out.

Once Pam left, I looked back at Bella. "Would you like to leave now?" I asked Bella.

She nodded. "Yes, please."

I smirked before standing and opening the office door. I went into the hall and opened the door to the bar. I looked over to the bar to see the person I was looking for was at his post.

"Longshadow," I called him.

I went back into the office and sat beside Bella. A moment later, he came in and closed the door.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm going to be leaving for the night, and Pam went shopping. Will you be okay to close up later?" I asked him.

"Yeah, it won't be a problem," he answered back.

I nodded and Longshadow left quickly, taking Bella's empty glass with him. I stood up and held my hand out for Bella to take, which she did. I led her out of the office, locking it behind me, and out the back door.

"Where are you parked?" I asked her as we rounded the corner to the parking lot.

She started walking to my car while pulling the keys out. When she arrived, she unlocked the driver's side and opened the door. She started to climb in, but I picked her up, pressed the unlock button, and had her in the passenger's seat in a couple of seconds. I rushed back to the driver's seat and started the car.

"Buckle up," I told her.

She complied, then a look of realization crossed her face. "Can we continue the questions, I ask you, and then you ask me?" she asked.

I smirked. "Sure."

She smiled happily. "Okay. Everyone seems to act as though you're a threat." I raised an eyebrow and looked at her. "Are you their leader or something?"

I chuckled. "Observant. Yes, I am the Sheriff of Area 5, which is most of Northern Louisiana."

She looked confused. "Sheriff? Like a cop?"

I chuckled. "My turn."

"No." I looked at her in disbelief. Did she really just tell me no? "You asked me many questions in a row earlier and I had to explain my whole story."

My lips tightened, fangs threatening to pop out, and my grip on the steering wheel became stronger. I almost always got my way, the exceptions being Godric and Pam. "Fine. Yes, it's kind of like a cop. As Vampire Sheriff, it is my duty to keep the vampires in my area under control. I also… take care of the humans that commit crimes against vampires, and I punish the vampires who break one of our laws. I can either let a new vampire stay in my area or make them leave."

"Cool."

I chuckled. "Cool?" she blushed. "Okay, my turn." Finally; I turned serious. "Why did you come to Fangtasia?"

She blushed and sank into her seat. "I was curious."

I looked at her intently, knowing that wasn't the whole reason, and I expected her to tell me.

She sighed. "I had a dream of you on the throne before I came to Louisiana."

I put the car to a stop and rolled the window down to enter a code on a keypad. A gate opened in front of us and I pulled through to go down the long driveway. At the end was my large Victorian style mansion. I stopped in front of the stairs before turning to Bella and staring at her.

"You had a dream about me in Fangtasia before you left Washington?"

"Before I heard of Fangtasia. I looked it up."

"When was this?" I asked curiously.

"On Thursday I think. It was the night vampires showed themselves."

I stared for a minute longer before opening the door and getting out. I quickly opened her door. When she got out, I closed the door and pushed her against it. I leaned my head down and I kissed her. It was electrifying and I knew in that moment if my hunch was right. She is my soul mate. I broke away so I could breathe and led her inside. I led her to the couch in the living room, which was a cream color. I sat down and put her on my lap, continuing the kisses. I could feel her skin heat up and could smell her arousal, which heightened mine. Her breathing became erratic. I repositioned us so she was lying on the couch and I was hovering over her.

Her back arched up to meet my body. I moved my hand underneath her body and glided under her shirt before running it up and down her back. She spoke up then.

"Wait," she said barely above a whisper. Her voice was raspy with want and need.

"What?" I grumbled out, I kept kissing her neck.

"I-" she took a deep breath. "I've never done this before."


	7. A Night With Bella

Thank you for all the reviews, everyone!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

"Wait," she said barely above a whisper. Her voice was raspy with want and need.

"What?" I grumbled out, I kept kissing her neck.

"I-" she took a deep breath. "I've never done this before."

At this, I stopped and looked at her face, not believing what she told me. Vampires craved sex.

"My ex-boyfriend was over a hundred years old and was still a virgin. He wanted to wait until he got married, to keep one rule unbroken," she told me.

I didn't believe that, and I was surprised he told her that. A vampire prude? "A one hundred year old virgin?"

She nodded, and I started laughing very hard. This was just too funny! A 100-year old vampire prude who said they wanted to get married before they had sex for the first time. That was hilarious! I would have to tell Godric about that later. I eventually calmed down and started kissing her neck again. She moaned.

"One more quick question," she said. "Can vampires get humans pregnant?" she asked.

I scoffed. "No. Believe me, I would know." I then resumed kissing her all over wherever her skin was showing. Her body started heating up and her arousal became even more prominent. She started kissing me back. She was starting to writhe against me. I moaned. She started kissing me harder, moving her hands up and down my sides and back. I kissed her along her neck all the way to her lips. I let my hand go lower and then stuck it up her shirt. There was electricity between my fingers and her body as I slid my hand up her torso. I started massaging her breasts, her nipples becoming harder under my touch. She moaned and her breathing and heart rate sped up.

"Let's go somewhere more comfortable," I mumbled against her neck.

She nodded. "Okay."

I picked her up and ran to the closest bedroom upstairs. I laid her down on the bed and ripped her shirt off; I took mine off next, along with the rest of my clothing. I pulled off her jeans quickly. I stood there naked, admiring her body. She sat up, and I undid her bra and pulled it off. The sight of her nearly naked in front of me made me harden more. I started to climb on the bed, leaning over her, and kissed the bottom of her stomach. I quickly snapped the side of her panties and pulled them off before throwing them. Her body was absolutely delicious looking. I couldn't wait to ravage it.

I climbed all the way onto the bed, and on top of her. I started kissing her again feverishly. She moaned into my mouth. My hand started down her body, and she shivered. I stopped at her waist, then her hips, and then moved them to the inside of her folds, which was smooth and completely bare. I ran my fingers through her folds and started moving them up and down. I continued until she calmed down after the first orgasm. I was still holding myself above her.

"Wow," she said, barely any sound coming out since she was out of breath.

I smirked. "That is the first of many, I can assure you."

If she had the endurance, I would go all night with her. I moved my hands around through her folds again, but then inserted a finger into her entrance. I pumped the finger for a little, then added another; I repeated the process. It took her only a minute to orgasm, and it sounded stronger. I was pleased with myself. When she calmed, I removed my hand and got into position to finally have sex. I moved her legs apart and to the side. I kissed her while holding myself above her. I looked into her eyes.

"This will hurt at first, since it's your first time, but it will pass quickly." She nodded. "Would you like me to make that part as quick as possible?" I asked her.

She nodded again. I put my member at her entrance, and thrust inside. I moved back and forth a little, letting her get used to the new feeling of me inside her, which was a perfect fit. To get it over with, I thrust into her with vampire speed, breaking her barrier quickly. She screamed in pain, and I stopped moving momentarily. Once her pain left, I began thrusting again. I thrust over and over again, my orgasm building with each one. I started going faster, unable to resist the feeling. We were both breathing heavy and moaning. The only other sound in the room was the impact of me pounding into her.

She orgasmed and turned her head to the side, which made me explode. I shuddered as my release hit; I leaned down and bit into her neck beside her jugular vein and drank. She moaned. I stopped drinking after a few moments then bit into my wrist and put it to her mouth. She drank from me until I pulled my wrist away.

This continued over and over without the blood exchange for over an hour. We lied on the bed afterwards. She was smiling, and I was extremely content. I knew for sure now she is my mate.

"That was amazing," she said.

I smirked. "It certainly was."

I looked at her, and she looked at me.

"I felt like I could keep doing this forever, never leaving the room, or bed."

I smirked again. "That makes two of us." I stared at her and then remembered about human needs. "Are you getting hungry?"

She thought before answering, "Yeah, a little."

I nodded. "Okay. First though," I gained a look of mischief and mirth. "Let's take a shower and clean up."

She nodded. I picked her up and used vampire speed to get to the bathroom quickly. I sat her down on the counter as I adjusted the temperature of the water. I also told Pam through our bond to pick up some food for Bella, which she agreed to. When it was the right temperature, we climbed in my large shower and started cleaning each other up. This ended up as another round of hot, steamy sex (literally). We had to clean up again. After we finished, I wrapped her and myself in a towel. She smiled.

We dried off and went into the bedroom to get dressed. I insisted on her wearing one of my shirts: a white button up. I put on a pair of boxers, nothing else. We went to the living room, where Pam was smirking. She had changed into her normal outfit.

"Have fun?" she leered.

I rolled my eyes. She did this all the time. "Yes, quite." I looked at the numerous bags around her. "Did you get everything I asked for?"

It was her turn to roll her eyes. "Of course. It's not like I could _not_."

I glared at her, warning her to behave. She sighed in defeat, knowing I would eventually do something if she continued the attitude streak. "Behave." She nodded, and I knew it would be under control for now. "I hope you like Chinese."

I picked up the bag with the offending food, which had a Chinese symbol on the side, and handed it to Bella. She sat on the couch and started to eat, with me sitting beside her. Pam asked me at inhuman levels if she should tell her what was in the bags. I nodded, telling her yes.

"So, there are shirts, shorts, skirts, jeans, undergarments, nightwear, shoes, and accessories. The accessories and shoes are color coordinated, as are the undergarments and outfits. If you need help coordinating them, let me know the night before. Okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah; thank you, both of you." We nodded in acknowledgement. "Um…" She looked at Pam. "Do you have a… recommendation for the first day of school?"

She smiled. "Oh, yes. I believe I do."

She started going through the bags and pulled out a blood red chiffon beaded shirt, a black skirt that was kind of short, and pair of black shiny high heels. Bella's mouth dropped.

"High heels?" her voice screeched. "I can't wear high heels without falling down and breaking something!"

Pam raised her eyebrow thinking 'really?' before shoving the shoes to Bella. "At the very least, try them on."

Bella shook her head. Pam sighed and rolled her eyes. She sped over to Bella, which made the girl jump. Pam ignored her reaction, and I rolled my eyes at her theatrics. Besides, Bella has been with vampires before; you would think that wouldn't surprise her anymore. Pam put the shoes on Bella and pulled her up. She made sure Bella wasn't going to fall before letting her go. She looked to me for help.

"She is very persistent. She will get you to do this at some point. You may as well get it over with while you can be healed easily if you do get injured," I informed her. I was bored and was becoming annoyed.

She sighed before she started walking to the opposite side of the room and back. She didn't fall and looked shock.

Pam asked, "You look surprised. Why?"

"Normally, I fall taking a couple of steps, even if I'm in sneakers," Bella responded, amazement clear in her voice.

Pam went closer and leaned in to smell her; I was a little tenser. "Mm… you smell delightful, and at the same time like Eric." She turned to me and smirked.

Mentally, she asked, _You finally decided to bond with someone after all this time?_

I knew I looked pleased, and smug, that my child could know this automatically. I replied, _Yes, I believe she is my mate._

_Congratulations. _She smiled before looking back at Bella. "Vampire blood, sweetie. You have it in you, and it will nearly eliminate your balance problems."

She looked thoughtful. "Cool."

We both chuckled. "So, you can wear the high heels," Pam answered.

She nodded. "Okay."

Pam smiled then put the objects back in the bags before standing up and started towards the door. She turned towards me as she got to the doorway.

"I'll see you tomorrow. I'm going home," she told me.

I nodded and she left. I watched Bella as she finished eating. Once she was done, I put the containers in a bag and went through the kitchen and out the back door to throw the bag in the trash can so it wouldn't make the house smell before I went back to the living room and Bella. I sat down beside her and examined her for a minute before I decided to tell her about the blood bond.

"Just so you know, if we have another blood exchange, it will create a permanent blood bond."

She looked surprised. "Why three?"

I raised my eyebrow. "That's the question you want to ask?" I laughed once at the choice of question before I continued. "I am not sure why it is three, but I assume it has something to do with the magic that created us. The number three is powerful in magic."

She nodded. "Okay." She looked around the room and saw the clock. She turned back to me. "I need to go to sleep soon."

I stood up and held out my hand, and she took it. I led her through the house to a bedroom on the ground floor, making sure she could find her way back out. I explained how to leave the house during the day time and how to secure it back. When she was in the room, I ran out and grabbed a bag that had toothbrush and toothpaste. I pointed out the bathroom and she brushed her teeth. I lied down and she came back in and lied on the bed beside me under the blanket. I looked at her as she thought about things, and then she looked at me and smiled. She put her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes. She fell asleep quickly. After I was sure I wouldn't wake her if I moved, I got up and left the room quietly.

I went down to my study and sat behind my desk. I called Pam first.

"Hello, Master," she answered.

"Pam, can you find an outfit to send Bella? I want her to come back to Fangtasia tomorrow." I heard her sigh.

"Yes, I can. Anything else? I'm busy," she huffed.

I raised an eyebrow. "Tone," was all I had to say. She sighed again, but I could feel her submission in our bond. "Busy doing what, may I ask?"

She gave a short, sharp sigh, and I could feel her annoyance. "If you _must_ know, I have company in the form of one _delicious_ lady."

I smirked and chuckled. "Have fun then; just don't forget."

"I won't. Goodbye." She hung up then.

I sighed and shook my head. My child had to have this attitude didn't she? I dialed the next number to call: my day man Bobby Burnham. I had him arrange to go to Bon Temps High School and get papers for Bella to take a test to graduate early, as in the next few days if possible. He said okay and we hung up.

I had both leave a note with the objects. I also called a flower shop and had them send some to Bella, leaving a note with those as well. After all this was done, I did some of the paperwork necessary as Sheriff and as owner of Fangtasia. Once that was finished, I made probably the most important call of the night, and also the most hesitant I wanted to have. He would have questions I didn't want to answer, however, I knew I would have to call because if I didn't, he would call me. I dialed my maker's number; it didn't take him long to answer.

"Hello, my child. Have you had a good night so far?" Godric greeted me.

"Hello, Godric. Yes, it has been extremely good. Bella is indeed my mate." I could feel the smile on my face as I said this.

I could tell he was smiling as well. "Congratulations, my son. You deserve happiness."

"Thank you, Godric. How are you doing?" I asked.

"I am well, though politics are getting rather boring. I am going to retire as Sheriff of Area 9. I will be coming to visit soon." I was surprised.

"Well, you are always welcome. You will get to meet Bella when you come. Let me know when you'll be here and I'll prepare the guest room and inform my mate about your arrival, and explain who you are. We haven't gotten that far, yet." I paused. "Do you want to hear about her?"

I could hear the placating tone and small smile in his voice, along with genuine curiosity. "Certainly."

I chuckled. "Well, she's really beautiful, has dark brown hair, brown eyes, soft pink lips, an _amazing_ body, she's intelligent, possibly too curious, and is way too stubborn." The last one I had said with an annoyed tone.

This caused my maker to chuckle. "Can I assume you didn't get your way?"

"Something like that," I mumbled petulantly.

Godric chuckled and sighed. "Eric, you can't always get your way."

"I can try," I replied grumpily.

I could hear is exasperated sigh. "Since I will only be here for one more week, I will see you next Wednesday."

I smiled, glad I could see my maker again soon. "Very well; I will have everything ready for you then."

I could hear his smile too. "I'll see you then, my son."

"I'll see you then, Father."

With that, we hung up the phone. I looked at the clock, and realized it would be dawn soon. I wrote Bella a note and put it by her. I went to my day proof room and lied down on my bed. I thought of Bella until I felt the sun come up and the day sleep took over my body. I couldn't wait until tonight.


	8. Fangtasia

Thank you for all the reviews everyone!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

Bella's POV

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

I got ready for tonight slowly, to make sure everything was perfect. I styled my hair and put on a little makeup before slipping the dress on. I put the shoes on after I walked out of my room (purse in hand) and down the stairs just in case the clumsiness wasn't entirely gone. It was now 6:45 and Eric would be here soon. Sookie was working, but Jason wanted to meet the vampire. We were all waiting in the living room when the doorbell rang at seven o'clock exactly. He was wearing a black silky shirt, dark blue jeans, and a leather jacket with boots. His long blond hair was straight down to his shoulders and parted off center. He smiled when he saw me then leered.

"Well, hello, my Bella," Eric greeted seductively.

It had an effect on me and he knew it. "Hi," I managed to get out.

He smirked then looked over my shoulder to Adele and Jason and smiled. "I assume you are Bella's family. Pleased to meet you; I'm Eric."

Adele smiled back. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Eric. My name is Adele."

Jason nodded at Eric. "Jason."

Eric raised his eyebrow for a moment before looking back at me. "Sorry to make a quick exit, but we must return to Fangtasia. We open soon."

I put my pocket book around me and said goodbye to Jason and Adele before making my way outside. I took Eric's hand when he held it out for me. He picked me up and we literally flew to Fangtasia. It was terrifying, but yet exhilarating. I knew he wouldn't drop me though. It was even better than running on Edward's back. On the trip to Shreveport, we started talking; or rather I think he was trying to distract me from the height.

"How was your day, lover?"

I smiled. "It was really good thanks to you. I loved the flowers, and the dress. Thank you, for all of it."

He smiled back. "You are most certainly welcome."

I bit my bottom lip before continuing. "They said I could take the test tomorrow morning, so I need to be home early enough to be able to wake up early in the morning."

He grinned. "That's good, and I'll make sure you are."

I leaned up a little and kissed him quickly. He tried to kiss me more, but I hid my face in his shoulder. "Not until we land." This made him chuckle.

"How much did the test cost?" I asked him.

I saw him smirk as I looked back at him. "I'm not telling. You will only want to pay for it yourself. Believe me when I say it was nothing. Being alive for a thousand years can make you very rich, lover. Don't worry about paying for anything ever again."

I didn't know how I felt about that, but kept quiet. We landed in the back of Fangtasia soon after, and walked in through the employee entrance. He carried me through the halls and to the office. There, we dropped off my pocket book. He sat me down and we walked out to the main bar area and he led me to the throne before putting me on top of his lap. He wrapped his arms around me and motioned for Longshadow to bring me a drink. He brought me the same drink as yesterday and returned to his station behind the bar.

Pam came up to us then, admiring me it seemed. She was wearing a black leather corset and tight black pants with black high heels and black jewelry and gloves that were worn like bracelets. Her hair was up in a pretty bun. "Well, it seems the outfit is absolutely perfect on you, don't you think so Eric?"

He smirked again. "Incredibly so."

"You know," I said, "You smirk a lot." This caused Eric, Pam, and even Longshadow to laugh.

"I can see why Eric is so interested in you," Pam commented. "You are interesting."

"Very," whispered Eric.

Pam walked over to the door and many more employees came out. The doors opened and the building became quickly packed. Many of the fangbangers were glaring at her, and staring lustfully at Eric. He scanned the crowd mostly, taking glances of me often, for the first half hour. I looked around too, seeing how the bar usually was. He could tell I started getting bored because as soon as I sighed he looked at me.

"We can find something interesting to do, lover," he replied seductively.

My breathing sped up. "Everyone would hear."

"Yes, they would. They would hear exactly how much you are mine."

The look on his face, and the feelings it caused, were hard to resist. "Not here; later."

He looked a little disappointed, but whispered, "Soon."

My stomach did little flips at this, but we both looked out over the crowd except this time making small talk. Around nine, I stiffened and immediately Eric looked at me. My cousin had just walked into the bar. I whispered this to Eric, who observed the couple.

He nearly growled. "Bill Compton." He didn't say this loud.

Pam stopped them and talked. "What are they saying?"

"Pam is asking her for her ID, and she's surprised she's being carded." Pam walked away and started coming towards us. Eric laughed and I could see Pam doing the same. "Your cousin thinks this is what a vampire ride would look like at Disney World."

I laughed too. Pam came up on the stage and whispered into Eric's ear, but I could still hear. "Sookie Stackhouse, 25, Bon Temps. She has the same address as our Bella, here. On another note, I still hate Bill Compton."

Eric smirked and chuckled lightly for a second. "That makes two of us." She walked off the stage then.

Sookie and presumably Bill had ordered drinks and sat down at a table. They were talking to each other and she was looking over the crowds.

"What are they talking about?" I whispered to Eric.

He looked over at them and then whispered close to my ear, "They're talking about their drinks, and she noticed me."

Just then, someone started reaching towards Eric and I got uncomfortable. He was acting like Eric was a god, which if you ask me, he kind of is. Eric flicked his leg out really fast and the man went flying into a table and the vampires started to go crazy. I felt his arms grip me just a little tighter. When he sat up, there was a large gash in his head. A girl vampire came over to him and they left.

A minute later, they started talking again, and I didn't even have to ask this time.

"It sounds as though your cousin is quite special." She seemed confused. "I'll tell you later." She nodded. Pam came up to Eric and whispered in his ear.

"Longshadow said she asked him about two customers. She wanted to know who they were with." Eric looked to them. Pam and Eric stared at them and I curled into his chest. I felt safe there, and I knew he wouldn't let anything happen to me.

Eric raised his hand and summoned them like he did me last night. Pam leaned against the back of the throne to Eric's right. I could see her face; she winked at me which made me smile some. They stared at Bill and Sookie as they came to the stage. They stood in front of us and I hoped they didn't realize it was me.

"Bill Compton. It has been a while." Eric was the first to speak.

"Yes, well, I've been-"

"_Mainstreaming_," Eric interrupted. Pam raised her eyebrow and turned to Eric, like she approved of what he was saying, and thought it was amusing. "I heard." He turned his head. "I see that is going well for you."

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry. Eric, this is my friend-" Bill started to say, but Eric cut him off.

"Sookie Stackhouse."

"How do you know my name," she asked quickly.

"I never forget a pretty face. You're in my vault," Pam told her. She pointed to her head during the second part. I smiled a little, as this was what she told me.

"Great." She paused. "That's just great." She sounded like it was the opposite. My cousin is an idiot. Even I knew not to talk to vampires like that when you first meet them especially. "It's nice to meet you."

"Well aren't you sweet?" Eric said.

"Not really," Sookie said. Idiot.

Eric laughed once then talked to Pam in another language.

"Miss Stackhouse, I understand you've been asking questions about some of my customers," Eric said.

"Yes, I have."

"If you have anything to ask, you should ask it of me." He finished talking with his voice harder than when he started. I could even feel a little of his annoyance and anger.

"Alrighty. You recognize either one of these girls?" she asked, handing him two pictures. Pam kept studying them; apparently neither one trusted nor liked Bill Compton.

He took a deep breath and looked at them. "Hm. Now this one offered herself to me," he said pointing. "But I found her too pathetic for my attentions. Now this one however, I have tasted," he replied before looking back up.

"I remember them both," Pam stated.

"On account of the vault?" Sookie asked. Moron.

"Never had either of them though. They weren't really my type." Her eyes went to me for a moment and winked again.

I felt her lean over and take the photos. "Well, thank you very much. That is all of your time I need to take."

"I'm not finished with you yet," Eric said quickly and authoritatively. "Please… sit."

Eric's arms tightened around me. "Bella?"

Damn it. I was hoping she wouldn't notice, but that was only wishful thinking. I sighed and turned around some. "Sookie."

"Bella, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here. You aren't even 21."

This made me really mad. Completely hypocritical. "I invited her here. Sit," Eric answered.

Bill held her hand until she was sitting, Eric and Pam's heads following Sookie.

"So, Bill, are you quite _attached_ to your friend?"

"She is mine," he answered, coming closer.

"Yes, I _am_ his," Sookie said.

"Interesting," Eric simply commented. "Sit with us," Eric turned to Bill. "We have catching up to do, you and I. It has been too long."

"Yes," he said and sat.

"We have to get out of here," Sookie said urgently. Everyone, minus Pam looked at her.

"Sookie," Bill said.

"Eric, the cops are coming. There's going to be a raid."

"Tell me you're not an undercover cop," Eric asked quickly.

"I'm not, but that man in the hat is. Eric looked that way.

"Even if you're right, we do nothing illegal here," Eric answered, appearing calm.

"There's a vampire named Taryn in the ladies room with that man you kicked before. She's feeding on him." I didn't know much about the vampire world, but I figured that was a no-no, especially considering the signs that said 'NO BITING ON PREMISES'.

"How do you know this?" Pam asked her.

She looked to Bill, then I heard "Police!" As everyone looked at the door, my mind immediately went to Charlie. "Police! Freeze!" I was scared, and panicking, and was worried about Charlie finding out, but Eric picked me up and stood. He walked off the stage saying "Follow me" to the rest and ran to the back. In the hall, Pam disappeared, only to come back with my pocket book. I smiled at her, and she winked in response.

We went out the back door, and Eric immediately rose off the ground, so I grabbed on tighter. He turned his head around.

"I enjoyed meeting you Miss Stackhouse. You will come again," Eric told my cousin.

He sped up, with Pam beside us, and took off into the air. We flew through the air. During that time, I was thinking about what happened. I can't believe that Sookie said that to me. She was there! She was with a vampire even! What's the difference if I'm with one and she is too? I couldn't believe she had the nerve to say that.

She had even more of a nerve talking to Eric and Pam like that. I had the feeling anyone who has didn't have a happy ending. If I passed the test tomorrow, I wondered if Eric would want me around so much I could leave the same house as Sookie.

We landed in front of what I recognized as Eric's house. He carried me inside to the couch, where he set me down. Pam sat down beside me and handed me my purse as Eric went to another room. Pam looked at me then smiled.

"What do you think of Eric?" she asked shortly after he was out of sight.

"What do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "I know you are not that naïve, Bella. How do you feel about him?"

I blushed, but answered. "I feel like I am complete. I've never felt like this before." I paused and looked at her. "Is it weird that I feel like that after one day of knowing him?"

Pam smiled. "No."

Then, Eric came back in and handed me a salad and fork with a drink. It was really yummy and I ate it quickly. While I ate, it was silent. I even saw Eric smile once. When I finished, I put the can and plastic container on the table. Eric quickly swept them up and disappeared for a moment before coming back empty handed. He came back and placed me in his lap. I curled into him. He leaned down and kissed me on the lips, and it quickly heated up. I started kissing him harder as his hands started roaming, as did mine.

He picked me up and rushed to a bedroom before laying me down on top of the comforter. Both of our clothes were taken off in a matter of seconds and then my vampire was on top of me. We started kissing again and he inserted himself into me. He started going in and out and before long we were consumed by the throes of passion. Each time we reached a peak, it felt like there was an explosion inside me.

Eventually, we slowed and stopped. Afterwards, we laid in bed for a couple of minutes before he turned to me and said, "I need to get you home, but I don't want to leave the bed."

I looked at him and replied, "I agree, so let's not." I kissed him again, but he pulled back this time.

"Bella, I need to get you home if you're going to take the test tomorrow. We will continue this tomorrow night; all night long if you so wish," Eric told me.

I sighed but started to get redressed and brushed my hair. "I'll hold you to that."

He smirked. "My pleasure… and yours."

I frowned slightly, as this made me want him more. "Are you sure we can't continue now?"

He chuckled, fully dressed, and answered. "Sorry, lover."

He took my hand and led me to the kitchen. He gave me a bottle of water and a snack. I ate the apple quickly and drank some of the water. He disappeared and came back with my purse before putting it on my outstretched hand. I put it over me and put the water inside. We walked outside and Eric picked me up before taking off into the air. We flew quickly through the air back towards Bon Temps.

"How soon will I see you tomorrow?" I asked.

"That depends; how soon do you want to see me?"

I smiled. "As soon as possible."

He smiled back, but only briefly. "Well, do you think you could find your way back to my house in your car?"

I thought, but only a moment. "No; I got lost coming out."

He chuckled. "Well, then I guess it will be sunset. I'll come as soon as I can. This will give you time to celebrate with the humans."

I smiled. "Okay. Thank you." I kissed him on the lips quickly, and he certainly returned it.

"You are most certainly welcome, lover." He paused. "I have one question for you though." I looked at him, wondering what it could be. "Would you move in with me?


	9. Fangtasia EPOV

Thank you for all the reviews everyone!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

Eric's POV

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

I woke up excited that I would see Bella tonight. It was still a few hours until sunset; since I was so old, I woke up earlier than most vampires. My maker Godric could wake up even earlier. I took a shower and got ready for the night. I would pick up Bella soon after dark, and I couldn't wait. I didn't know what Pam had found for Bella, but based on her style and the clothes she got her shopping, I had no doubt she wouldn't disappoint anyone. As I was getting dressed, I thought on how long it would take to get to Bon Temps when I was flying; I figured it would be around ten minutes or so.

When I finished, I went to my office which was connected to my room. I sat and turned on the computer and checked my e-mail. After I answered the ones that need to be, I called Bobby and told him to stock the kitchen in my house with human food; this way, I could have food and drinks for Bella.

Since I couldn't do much until sunset, I took care of some business for Fangtasia and read some of the books I had. This occupied me until sunset. I heard Bobby come in and put some things away before leaving. I immediately raced to the kitchen first, noting the food that was there, and then took to the sky. I flew to Bon Temps and right to Bella's door. It was exactly seven o'clock: the time I told her I would be here. I knocked on the front door and waited for a response.

Bella opened it only a few seconds after, wearing a stunning outfit. It was a black silk dress that had beading right under her breasts and went down to her mid-thigh. She had on black high heels and a diamond necklace. Knowing Pam, the necklace wasn't bought the same time as the large batch of clothes, but I didn't mind. When it came to Bella, I would buy her a diamond every day if she wanted. I smiled when I first saw her, and then as I started looking at the outfit more, I started sending lustful stares.

"Well, hello, my Bella," I greeted her seductively. It worked; I could smell her arousal.

"Hi."

I smirked, then looked behind her to an old woman and a young man coming towards us. "I assume you are Bella's family. Pleased to meet you; I'm Eric."

The woman smiled back. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Eric. My name is Adele."

The young man nodded. "Jason."

I raised an eyebrow at his lack of greeting before returning my attention to Bella. "Sorry to make a quick exit, but we must return to Fangtasia. We open soon," I informed them.

Bella put on her pocket book and said goodbyes. Once outside, I held out my hand, which she took, and picked her up. I took off into the sky. I could feel her fear and excitement at the act, along with a trust. To try and distract her from the fear, I started a conversation.

"How was your day, lover?" I asked Bella.

She smiled. "It was really good thanks to you. I loved the flowers, and the dress. Thank you, for all of it."

I smiled back; glad I could make her day better. "You are most certainly welcome."

She bit her bottom lip, which I liked, before continuing. "They said I could take the test tomorrow morning, so I need to be home early enough to be able to wake up early in the morning."

I smiled largely. "That's good, and I'll make sure you are."

She leaned up and kissed me quickly. I tried to kiss her more, but she hid her face in my shoulder. "Not until we land." I chuckled; it seems she was nervous about me dropping her if I got distracted. "How much did the test cost?" she asked.

I smirked as she looked up. "I'm not telling. You will only want to pay for it yourself. Believe me when I say it was nothing. Being alive for a thousand years can make you very rich, lover. Don't worry about paying for anything ever again."

Her emotions were confusing as she thought about that. Not long after, we landed in the back lot of Fangtasia and I went in the employee entrance; carrying Bella the entire time. I made my way to my office where we dropped off Bella's pocket book. I put her down and we walked out to the main bar and led her to the throne. I sat down first then sat her on my lap. I wrapped my arms around Bella and motioned Longshadow to bring Bella a drink. He brought the same drink she had yesterday and returned to his post.

Pam came up to us then, admiring Bella. Tonight's outfit was black leather with black high heels, but this was usual. Her hair was in a bun. "Well, it seems the outfit is absolutely perfect on you, don't you think so Eric?"

I smirked. "Incredibly so."

"You know," Bella said, "You smirk a lot." Pam, Longshadow, and I laughed at that.

"I can see why Eric is so interested in you," Pam commented. "You are interesting."

"Very," I whispered.

Pam walked over to the door and the rest of the employees came out. The doors opened and the building filled quickly. Many of the people glared at Bella and ogled me. I scanned the crowd, making glances to Bella often, for the first thirty minutes that is. She looked around, observing the bar. She sighed and I looked at her, noting the boredom on her facial expression.

"We can find something interesting to do, lover," I whispered seductively.

Her breathing and heart rate sped up. "Everyone would hear."

"Yes, they would. They would hear exactly how much you are mine," I informed her. I stared at her with every bit of passion and attraction I had for her. I could smell the effect it had on her and inwardly smirked. "Not here; later," she told me.

I was slightly disappointed, but I whispered, "Soon."

We both observed the crowd after that until around nine o'clock. Bella stiffened in my arms and I immediately looked at her. She whispered her cousin walked in. I observed the couple and nearly growled when I saw who the human was with. "Bill Compton." I didn't say this loud, but it was loud enough for Pam to take notice of who was here.

Pam walked over to Bill and Bella's cousin. "Bill, haven't seen you in a while."

"I'm mainstreaming," he said, looking uncomfortable.

"What are they saying?" Bella asked.

"Good for you. Who's the doll?" Her tone started out as bored and turned into only slight interest.

"Pam, this is Sookie. Sookie, this is Pam."

"Pleased to meet you," she said, holding her hand out to shake, stupid girl.

I could feel Pam's incredulity at the act, but she kept it off her face. Bill pulled down Sookie's hand and shook his head.

"Can I see your ID?"

"Oh, sure. How funny. Who would have thought getting carded at a vampire bar?" The girl commented before handing Pam her license.

I informed Bella what was going on.

Pam stared at her in silence for a moment before holding up the wallet and looking. "I can no longer tell human ages. We must be careful we serve no minors… in any capacity." She handed the girl back the wallet. Sookie stared at her in surprise, smiling for a mere second. "25, huh? How sweet it is."

They walked over to the bar, and on the way, the human made it obvious she knew nearly nothing about us. "This feels a little bit like what a vampire bar would look like if it were a ride at Disney World."

I laughed, and told Bella what the girl said; she started laughing as well. I knew Pam was laughing too at the absurdity and the stupidity of the girl.

"Well, don't get too comfortable. It tends to get more… authentic as the night wears on."

I didn't stop paying attention, but I didn't listen as closely as I had been. I noticed they were asking questions of my staff. I had been telling Bella what was going on. Pam came up to the stage and leaned down to whisper. "Sookie Stackhouse, 25, Bon Temps. She has the same address as our Bella, here. On another note, I still hate Bill Compton."

I smirked and chuckled a little for a moment. "That makes two of us." She left the stage and continued to walk around.

When Sookie and Bill sat down and started talking, the expected question came from Bella. She whispered, "What are they talking about?"

I looked over to the couple and listened, and noticed a middle aged man coming closer.

"So, how's your drink?" Bill asked.

"A gin and tonic is pretty much a gin and tonic wherever you drink it," answered Sookie.

"I know what you mean," Bill commented as he held up his TruBlood.

Sookie looked around the room and noticed me, but didn't recognize Bella. "Who's that?"

I told Bella they were talking about their drinks, and that her cousin noticed me.

"Oh, you noticed him did you?" Bill asked with a bit of jealousy.

"No," Sookie was quick to defend herself. "It's not like that. I just-"

"Everyone does," he interrupted. "That's Eric. He's the oldest thing in this bar."

The man had crawled his way onto the stage and started touching me, and nearly my Bella. She looked highly uncomfortable. Pathetic and stupid is what he was. I used some vampire strength and kicked him away from us. He crashed into a table and cut his head, which had most of the vampires in the bar going on bloodlust. I held onto Bella a little tighter as a precaution. A vampire came over to him and led him away.

"Still think you are in Disney World?" Bill asked Sookie who just looked at him.

I relayed the information to Bella. A few minutes later, it became quite the intriguing conversation, which I also told her.

"Are you able to pick up anything?" Bill asked Sookie.

"All anyone's thinking about here is sex, sex, sex," commented Sookie, surprised.

"One needn't be telepathic to pick up on that," Bill replied, nearly laughing at the naivety of his date.

"It sounds as though your cousin is quite special," I said to Bella. She looked and felt confused. "I'll tell you later." She nodded.

Pam came up to me and whispered in my ear that Longshadow had said she asked about some customers. I looked over to where they were. Sookie had just looked away from Bill, who noticed me looking at them.

He looked annoyed, yet resigned, and almost angry. This would be fun.

"Uh-oh," Bill muttered.

Sookie whipped her head back around quickly. "Uh-oh. Vampires are _not_ supposed to say uh-oh."

Pam and I continued to stare at them, while Bella just curled into my chest.

"It's Eric; he's scanned you twice. He's going to summon us," Bill informed her.

"He can do that?" she asked incredulously.

"Oh, yeah," he replied sounding more annoyed.

I raised my hand and summoned him. He chuckled once in wryness before he held his hand out to Sookie, who took it, and led her to us. Pam leaned against the back of the throne and Bella stayed curled into me, hoping she wouldn't be recognized. Pam and I stared at them as they came onto the stage. Once they were on the stage, they stood in front of us.

"Bill Compton. It has been a while," I stated.

"Yes, well, I've been-"

"_Mainstreaming_," I interrupted. "I heard." I looked at Sookie. "I see that is going well for you."

"Yes, of course, I'm sorry. Eric, this is my friend-" he started.

"Sookie Stackhouse."

"How do you know my name," she asked.

"I never forget a pretty face. You're in my vault," Pam answered. I felt Bella smile.

"Great." She paused. "That's just great." Her facial expression appeared to be that of the opposite, and that she wasn't happy about it. "It's nice to meet you."

"Well aren't you sweet?"

"Not really," she answered. Bill grabbed her hand

I laughed once before slightly turning to Pam. "Vår lilla djurpark börjar växa till sig." (_Our little zoo is starting to grow._)

"Jag vet," she answered. (_I know._)

"Miss Stackhouse, I understand you've been asking questions about some of my customers."

"Yes, I have."

"If you have anything to ask, you should ask it of me." My voice grew colder, as well as my eyes. Bill being defensive didn't help things.

"Alrighty." She dug through her purse and pulled out two pictures then handed them to me. "You recognize either one of these girls?"

I took a deep breath, taking in Bella's scent to calm me. "Hm. Now this one offered herself to me, but I found her too pathetic for my attentions. Now this one however, I have tasted." I looked back up at them.

"I remember them both," Pam stated.

"On account of the vault?" Sookie asked. Bill grabbed her hand, and this time I looked.

"Never had either of them though. They weren't really my type." Bill glared at Pam.

She leaned in and took the photos. "Well, thank you very much. That is all of your time I need to take." She put the pictures back in her purse.

"I'm not finished with you yet," I informed her quickly. "Please… sit."

She looked a little closer at the girl in my arms, which tightened in response. "Bella?"

I could feel her slight annoyance. She sighed. "Sookie."

"Bella, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be here. You aren't even 21."

I could feel anger surge through her, and even Pam, besides the anger coursing through me at the way she was speaking to Bella. "I invited her here. Sit."

Bill held her hand until she was sitting in the chair next to us. My head, and I'm quite sure Pam's, followed Sookie.

"So, Bill, are you quite _attached_ to your friend?"

"She is mine," he responded, stepping closer, as if that would intimidate me.

"Yes, I _am_ his," Sookie said, as if I cared what she thought.

"Interesting." I stared at her a little longer. "Sit with us," I told Bill, turning towards him. "We have catching up to do, you and I. It has been too long."

"Yes," he said and sat.

"We have to get out of here," Sookie suddenly said. We turned towards her.

"Sookie," Bill warned.

"Eric, the cops are coming. There's going to be a raid," she informed me.

"Tell me you're not an undercover cop," I asked. If this was true I had to get Bella out. She should be nowhere near this.

"I'm not, but that man in the hat is. I looked his way, and noticed Bill get tense, ready to get Sookie out.

"Even if you're right, we do nothing illegal here," I answered, only partially worried.

"There's a vampire named Taryn in the ladies room with that man you kicked before. She's feeding on him." I felt panicked, and knew Bella had to leave.

"How do you know this?" asked Pam quickly.

She looked to Bill, but before she could answer, "Police!" Everyone looked to the door then. "Police! Freeze!" Everyone was panicked, but I managed to stay calm. Since Bella was already in my lap, I just picked her up and carried her.

"Follow me," I said, then walked off the stage quickly and ran towards the door nearby that leads to the back. I told Pam mentally to grab quickly Bella's pocket book on the way by in my office. We went through the hall fast, Pam disappearing only for two seconds, coming back with Bella's pocket book.

We went through the back door, Pam and I instantly lifted off the ground, which made Bella hang on to me tighter. Bill lifted Sookie and started to run.

"I enjoyed meeting you Miss Stackhouse. You will come again," I told her.

I started to speed up, Pam beside me, then took off into the air. We flew for a minute then I decided to go to my house. I could feel Bella's anger rising. After a while though, she became disbelieving, and then finally curious and hopeful. As Pam and I flew, we communicated mentally for a short amount of time.

_Do you think Bella would live with me if I asked her?_

Pam looked at me with a smirk. _What do you think? She's already become literally attached to you. Just look at her. She's been clinging on to you all night; turning to you for comfort._ I smiled. _You are really that confident about her passing the test?_

I smiled larger. _Of course; she's brilliant._

We both smiled and looked at the girl in my arms. We landed in my yard soon enough, and I carried Bella in before putting her on the couch. Pam sat by her and gave her the purse back. I walked into the now fully stocked kitchen and got something already made to eat for Bella while listening in on their conversation, smiling at times. I had the kitchen filled earlier so she would have food. I brought out the dish and fork with a drink and gave it to Bella, who ate it readily.

While she ate, Pam and I had a silent conversation.

_When should we go back to the bar? Someone has to close it down,_ she asked.

I thought for a moment. _Later tonight; we'll give them time to clear out and then go back._

_Okay. What time are you going to bring back Bella?_

I calculated what time would be best. _Probably around 10:30. That would likely give her eight hours of sleep._ I looked at the clock. It was now 9:45. We still had forty-five minutes.

I couldn't wait until tomorrow. I knew she would pass the test, and then we could spend all night together. I smiled. Until she finished eating, it was silent among us again. Once she put the empty container and can on the table, I quickly removed them and threw them away in the kitchen. I returned to the couch and put Bella on my lap, glad to have her close to me. She curled herself into me. I leaned down and kissed her. I saw Pam get up and leave, mentally saying goodbye. I kissed Bella more, and it became more passionate. My hands started roaming up and down her curvy body, and felt her hands on me as well.

I picked her up and quickly ran to the same bedroom as last time, laying her on the blanket. I quickly removed my clothing and hers as well. I was more careful with hers though. Once we were both undressed, about ten seconds later, I was on top of her. As we continued kissing, I moved myself into her and started thrusting. It only took seconds to get lost into primal fever. We went many successful rounds, but we were able to calm ourselves eventually. We lied there in bed for a few minutes and then I looked at the clock. It was 10:45.

I silently sighed and turned towards Bella. "I need to get you home, but I don't want to leave the bed."

Bella looked at me as she told me, "I agree, so let's not." She kissed me, but I reluctantly pulled back.

"Bella, I need to get you home if you're going to take the test tomorrow. We will continue this tomorrow night; all night long if you so wish," I informed her.

She sighed and started to get dressed and brushed her hair, as did I. "I'll hold you to that," she commented.

I smirked, and intended very much on following through. "My pleasure… and yours."

She frowned slightly. "Are you sure we can't continue now?"

I chuckled, amused that she couldn't stop thinking about it. "Sorry, lover."

I took her hand and went to the kitchen. I gave her a bottle of water and an apple. She ate quickly and drank some of the water. I walked vampire speed into the living room and grabbed her purse before returning just as quickly. I put the purse on her hand, and she put it across her body and put the water inside. We walked out and I picked her up before taking off into the air. I flew fast to Bon Temps.

"How soon will I see you tomorrow?" Bella asked.

"That depends; how soon do you want to see me?"

She smiled. "As soon as possible."

I smiled back for a moment, glad that she wanted to see me that much. "Well, do you think you could find your way back to my house in your car?"

She paused. "No; I got lost coming out."

I chuckled. "Well, then I guess it will be sunset. I'll come as soon as I can. This will give you time to celebrate with the humans."

She smiled. "Okay. Thank you." She kissed me on the lips quickly, which I readily returned wanting more.

"You are most certainly welcome, lover." I paused as a small wave of nervousness came over me; I was a little afraid of how she might respond. "I have one question for you though." She looked at me curiously. "Would you move in with me?"


	10. Confrontation

Thank you for all the reviews, everyone! Lemon-y goodness ahead! Quite descriptive this time!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

Bella's POV

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

_Previously:_

"_I have one question for you though." I looked at him, wondering what it could be. "Would you move in with me?"_

_Now:_

I stared at him in surprise; he was on the same track as my mind. "Yes; I would love to." I felt the jolt as he landed on the ground. Since we were now safe on land, I reached up and kissed him passionately. He returned it eagerly, and I could even feel a smile on his face, along with my own. He stopped the kisses though. I frowned slightly; I wanted more. He chuckled and kissed me once more.

"Thank you, Bella." He gave me one more light kiss before he put me on the ground, though he still held onto me. "We can talk more about that tomorrow, okay?" I nodded. He started leading me to the front door of the Stackhouse residence.

"Can you tell if Sookie is still awake?" I asked him.

He looked like he was concentrating for a moment before answering. "Yes, she is. It seems she is waiting for you. Her boyfriend is here as well."

I stared at him surprised. "You mean the vampire with her earlier?" He nodded. I instantly attached myself to Eric, who held me closely. "Don't leave me. I don't trust him or her anymore."

"I won't." He was silent for a minute. "If you woke up early enough, I could have someone bring you from Shreveport in the morning. You would only need to go in and get what you need to bring with you."

I looked up at him. I nodded, and kissed him. "Thank you. Will you come in with me?"

He smiled. "Of course." His smile turned into a smirk and I chuckled as I saw the gleam in his eye. It was one of twisted amusement.

I pulled on his hand to the door. "Eric, will you please come in?"

"Why thank you, my lady." He bowed and kissed the back of my hand.

I giggled since it tickled and he winked at me when he looked up. We walked inside and started towards the stairs. Sookie came out of her room, followed by Bill. She looked at Eric and became mad instantly.

"What are you doing in here? How did you even get in?" she questioned immediately. "Bella, you need to come over here by Bill and me. You can't trust him."

I looked at her in disbelief as Eric answered her. "Bella wanted my help to get ready what she needs for tomorrow."

Sookie stared at him for a mere moment before saying, "You glamoured her! Eric Northman, I rescind your invitation."

I saw Bill smirking a little, and I think Eric did as well when he growled, but the door opened by its self and he flew backwards like an invisible force threw him. I turned to Sookie, beyond angry at this point, and I think Eric was even feeding it to my emotions as well, or he was so mad that it was overflowing like that.

"Sookie, Eric did not glamour me. I can't be glamoured actually. I invited him in because I wanted his help. Eric, come in." He was instantly by my side.

While Bill and Sookie and Eric and I were staring each other down, none of us noticed that our disagreement alerted Adele. "What's going on out here?" I heard her voice say.

Sookie turned to her grandmother and said, "Gran, it's okay. You can go back to reading."

Adele rolled her eyes at Sookie, which made choke back a laugh. Bill agreed with Sookie and told her nothing was happening. Eric didn't seem to have the same problem. "Mrs. Stackhouse, it seems your granddaughter thinks I glamoured Bella into letting me in when Bella merely wanted my help."

Adele turned to Sookie. "Is this true?"

Sookie became madder. "No! He glamoured her!"

I rolled my eyes. "I can't be glamoured. You, however, are entirely hypocritical. You are with a vampire, yet you seem to think I can't be with one."

"I'm 25; you're only 18. You don't have enough rational thought yet, or experience, to make a proper decision about being with a vampire," she explained herself. "Eric, I rescind your invitation."

I couldn't believe she just said that. Eric flew out again, becoming even madder. Out of spite I whispered "I rescind your invitation, Bill." The said vampire suddenly went flying through the air and out the door. Eric stepped to the side and laughed lightly as Bill landed on the ground roughly. Sookie gasped and yelled for Bill.

"Sookie," I said, drawing her attention. "Though I may be younger than you, I have more rational thought and experience than you do. I took care of my mom since I was a little kid." Adele gasped and put her hand to her mouth and her eyes became sympathetic and sad. "As for experience, I have dated a vampire before; it's why Charlie sent me here," I informed her. She opened her mouth in shock. I heard Eric growling behind me at the mention of the Cullens.

Eric and Bill were both standing at the door, glaring at each other occasionally. Adele came over and hugged me before going to sit down. Sookie was still upset, and she finally let it come out of her mouth.

"You are still too young and shouldn't be with him," she insisted stubbornly. "Bill, come in please." He raced to her.

"Eric, come in," I whispered.

He came to my side quickly, putting his arms around me. I think this is partially to keep him from killing Bill and Sookie. I moved my hands to his arms and held them there.

"You can't trust him, Bella. He isn't a nice person," Sookie tried again.

I smirked a little, and felt Eric chuckle lightly at the expression. "You're right." I felt Eric stiffen a little. "He's not. He's a nice _vampire_ to me and a threat to others." Eric immediately loosened his grip again and turned me around a little to kiss my lips. "For that matter, how do you know you can trust Bill?"

She looked at me in shock. "He saved my life." Bill looked a little smug.

Eric looked over to Bill, not liking him in the first place, and told Sookie, "Did your boyfriend tell you that with enough of their blood they can manipulate your emotions?"

Even though I didn't know that, I knew Eric wouldn't do that, unless it was to calm me down. Sookie looked at him, then at me. "That's what you're doing to her, isn't it? Did you know this, Bella?"

"Yes," I told her. She didn't need to know. "I trust him though."

Adele spoke up now. "Sookie," she called out. The said girl looked to her grandmother. "Leave Bella alone. Eric's intentions are honest when it comes to Bella."

I smiled at Adele, whom smiled back.

"Gran, he's manipulating her," Sookie insisted.

"Or Bill is the one manipulating you," I declared.

She turned accusing eyes onto me before turning to Bill. "Tell them they are wrong!" She looked like I did with Edward. I kind of felt sorry for her.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed.

Sookie smiled. "Do mind if I stay with you tonight?"

Bill smiled. "Of course not."

Sookie turned towards Adele. "Gran, I'm going to stay at Bill's tonight."

"Okay, dear." She smiled a sad smile, like she knew something was indeed going on.

Sookie ran to her room and grabbed a bag of her things and took off with Bill, leaving Eric, Adele, and me in the house. I walked over to the couch and sat beside Adele. Eric followed and sat on the chair on the other side of the coffee table. I then informed Adele about my plans to stay with Eric in Shreveport instead of here in Bon Temps. She understood perfectly, and with a mischievous smile, she said to 'have fun'. I told her I would be back tomorrow. She gave me a hug and went to her bedroom to read some more before going to sleep.

Eric and I went up to the room I was staying in and gathered what I was taking. I got some clothes for tomorrow, the pencils for tomorrow, and a few other necessities. After I put all of that into a bag, Eric picked me up and ran down the stairs. He continued out the door and then took off into the air.

"What about my car?" I asked.

He smirked and said, "You don't need to worry about that. I'll have someone bring you out here, and then when you are finished with the test, he can pick you up and bring you to your car. I'll come when the sun goes down."

I nodded and put my head on his chest. I was still surprised my own cousin could say things like that to me. I felt a few tears slipping down my cheeks.

"What's wrong?" The vibrations from his voice bounced off my head.

"I'm fine," is how I replied.

He sighed. "No, you're not."

I looked up to his face. "Do you really think Bill could be controlling Sookie's emotions?"

He looked thoughtful then answered. "I do. He is enough of a jerk to do something like that. He has calmed some since we first met, but he was very young then. His maker certainly didn't help things. I don't like him, nor do I trust him."

This sparked curiosity. "What happened the first time you met him?"

He smiled for a moment. "I was in San Francisco in 1905. I was roaming the area and came across a young woman being attacked by a murderer. I saved her. She was the madam at a brothel. The next night, I went to the brothel; I wanted to bed her. She was attractive. Not long after I arrived, I sensed and heard the other vampires that were there. They were feeding off of one of the girls. Apparently, this had been a regular thing. The vampires were Bill Compton, then only a few decades old, and his maker, Lorena, whom was and still is incompetent.

"The madam was very grateful. At first she refused, but after I stopped the vampires from killing anymore of her girls, she finally accepted. She was very witty and sharp tongued. I liked it. One of the funniest things she said the night I saved her was when I said the streets could be dangerous at that hour and a lady really should be more careful. Her response was if she met a lady, she would let her know."

He started chuckling, and I laughed too. "That's funny. Did anything happen after that?"

He smiled. "Yes. You've met her before. It's Pam."

I looked at him in shock. "She was nearly killed?"

He stared at me in disbelief for a moment. "That's the first thing that comes to your mind?" He chuckled and shook his head some.

"Well, the comeback doesn't surprise me. She's still like that. However, it's still hilarious!" I answered.

He chuckled and I felt him land on the ground again in front of his house. He never set me down as he carried me through the house to the bedroom I woke up in last night. He laid me on the bed and threw the bag onto a table. When he turned around, the look on his face made my insides tingle. I started to undress quickly, and he chuckled.

"Eager, are we?" he asked as he walked over towards me.

I nodded. "Yeah."

He leaned in closer to me. I reached my arms up and put them around his neck before I kissed him on the lips. I was very eager. He pulled my arms from their position and backed away. This didn't make me happy.

"As much as I want to, you need your rest if you are going to wake up early enough to go to Bon Temps in the morning to take the test," he reminded me.

I frowned. "That doesn't mean we can't continue where we left off earlier."

I climbed onto my knees and reached up to the top button of his shirt and started undoing them. I only got two undone before his hands pulled mine away. He leaned down and kissed me.

"I'm sorry, Bella. You need your rest."

With one last kiss, Eric released my hands and zoomed out. I sat back on the bed and frowned. I sighed and stood to walk to my bag and pull out my toothbrush. I performed my nightly routine, still in only my bra and underwear. I was still tingly and wanted more. I put everything back in my bag and took off the only thing covering my top half. I slipped on my high heels and walked to the door. I went into the hall and tried to guess which way Eric went. I assumed he would go towards the living room, so that is where I headed. I was right; he was sitting on the couch reading something.

I walked up behind him and leaned over the couch and around him to kiss him. He eagerly kissed back. Once we stopped, he tried to get me to go back and try to sleep. What he didn't realize is that I couldn't sleep, or what I was (or wasn't) wearing. I was still bending over the back of the couch, kissing Eric on his neck, when a voice was heard.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?"

I gasped and stood quickly, turning around to see Pam standing there. Eric was beside me in a flash, only now seeing exactly what was on me. I hid behind him with my arms covering my chest, which made him chuckle.

"I do say I have to agree," he said and stepped beside me to turn and look at me more closely.

Between Pam and Eric, I was certainly becoming uncomfortable. I quickly stepped out of the heels and started running towards the bedroom. Once inside, I put the shoes down and crawled under the blankets, even putting my head under. I figured since Eric wasn't already in here, he might not come in for the rest of the night.

I slowly slid my right hand down my body, letting my left hand come up to my left breast. The feeling of my hands moving over my body made the tingles start all over my body and increase the tingling, heat, and wetness in my lower region. My left hand started massaging where it touched, making the area become hard and heated. It shot an amazingly good feeling down to my core. I moaned out in pleasure. My right hand started moving under the lace of the panties and went in between my folds. It started moving up and down, creating a sensation that felt spectacular.

My core started to throb with need for pleasurable release. I started moving my fingers in a slow circular motion, but still up and down, which increased the tingles and need immensely. My left hand continued to massage my left breast, but also my right one. I continued the ministrations with my right hand, at the same slow speed. I could tell I was teasing myself. I started moaning and squirming around, seeking more friction from my own hand. I started moving my hand a little faster, aiming to satisfy the need. My back started arch in response. The pressure building up was starting to become unbearable; I needed release. I started moving my hand faster, desperate for the explosion of pleasure from an orgasm.

I was getting really close. I was less than a minute away from reaching it when suddenly my hands were pinned above my head with a naked body in between me and the blanket. My head was now out from under the blanket. I looked up into the ocean blue eyes of my lover; said eyes were darker from lust. His fangs were out and on display.

"A woman should never have to pleasure herself. That is what a man is for," he said.

The pressure in my core was building because I wasn't getting the release it needed, and I started squirming against him, seeking friction. "Well, said woman tried to get the man's attention, yet he stayed there reading."

"After I saw what you were in, while bending over the couch wearing nothing but heels and lingerie, it was very seductive; enough to drive a man wild with need."

He leaned down and kissed my neck. I moaned and arched into him. I felt him smirk against where he had traveled to; he was now in between my breasts. His hand came up and started to circle around the outside of my left breast. I frowned; I wanted more. A plea of want came through my lips; I was beyond rational thought and only wanted one thing. He was being a big tease.

I started to rub myself against him, seeing as how his member was very much alive and ready. I started moving myself up and down against him. He groaned in response, and pulled away some. He repositioned himself so he was sitting on top of me on my lower stomach, where I was unable to find any friction. I whimpered in response. He still had my arms pinned above me.

"You will only find release when I allow you to, since you are so insistent about doing this instead of resting," he informed me.

I whimpered, which apparently seemed to please him. His finger circled around my breast, always teasing, but never touching the center where I craved. It seemed the only spot that was completely arousing was the center of the breast. I'm not sure how long he continued this, but it seemed like a really long time to me. He took his time with each breast. He did eventually reach the part that had hardened long ago. He spent very little time there, and continued on. He circled it once and softly stroked it once. It was enough to drive me insane. I was very desperate for release, and couldn't find any friction whatsoever. He reached over to the nightstand and opened the drawer. He pulled something out and reached above my head. He moved my arms and I felt the lined leather around my wrists and a click. He handcuffed my hands above my head to the headboard.

Both of his hands ran down my body, giving me shivers and tingles. He moved back until he was halfway down my legs and traced the top of the panties before ripping the side and pulling them off in a move so quick it was a blur. He looked at me with lust before he leaned down. He took his hand and quickly reached in between my folds to feel how wet I was. My body automatically tensed at the touch, but responded just as quickly. I moaned in pleasure at the feeling of finally being touched. It was gone the second the sound left my lips, which caused another plea.

With my teasing and taunting ministrations that had me on the verge of release, and his teasing and nearly torturing but amazing touch, I was ready to scream. The pressure built up in my abdomen was begging to be released, and felt unbearable. He climbed off my legs to climb between them and put them over his shoulders. His hand moved and teased my folds before inserting themselves in between and started moving in up and down circles. Suddenly, his fingers went inside. I gasped in surprise and moaned in pleasure. He started pumping them in and out, making little circles inside me really slowly. It felt amazing, but agonizing. I felt my body moving itself along with him, moving up and down; it was pulling him out further, just to make them push back in deeper. It was absolutely amazing. He stopped for a moment, letting his fingers stay in place. My body kept moving until he held me still. This meant his fingers were inserted inside me almost painfully while my body was begging for release from the intimate touch. He leaned up to my ear.

"You may orgasm when you are ready," he whispered.

He leaned back down and started his ministrations again. His fingers went in and out in circles, only a little faster than before. My body started going up and down, my hips thrusting towards his touch, then away from it, and back towards him desperately trying to add friction to my core to achieve release. It agonizingly slow that the pressure continued to build until I was whimpering and moving around desperately trying to find pleasure. Since my hands were still handcuffed, I could only use them to help get leverage to move my body. My legs were still unable to be used for leverage since he had them over his shoulders still. He started moving his hands a little faster, which made my body to start moving more forcefully and desperately. The pressure built up a little faster, but it was nearly painful with need for release.

His fingers pulled out and my hips came backwards; his fingers pumped themselves in and my hips thrust forward eagerly. This continued until the pressure was nearly unbearable; this is when my body finally decided to give me the pleasure and it felt like an explosion happened. It was so intense, I think I saw stars and felt fireworks. I screamed out loud in pleasure of the feeling and relief of the pleasure being released.

A few seconds after my release started calming down, Eric suddenly plunged into me and drove me to a second orgasm that happened the same time as his first. We continued on, and I had my third and fourth and even fifth before we separated. I laid there exhausted, and Eric reached up and finally undid the handcuffs. My arms came down and wrapped themselves around his torso. We lay beside each other.

"Wow." That is the only thing I can come up with to express how I feel right now from what just happened.

I smiled. "I know. Amazing." His hand came up to cup my cheek and he leaned over to kiss me. "You're not going to get very much sleep. It's already 2:00. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?"

"Usually about fifteen minutes tops. I have to be there at 8:30," I answered.

"You'll need to wake up around 7:00 to get to Bon Temps in time then. You'll be safe in the car with this man. His name is Bobby. He knows if he tries anything, it will be his death." I frowned at this. "That is the result of working for vampires. Our safety depends on them sometimes."

I didn't like it, but I nodded my reluctant acceptance. He kissed my forehead and curled up against him tighter and tried to rest. I fell asleep quickly, feeling happy.


	11. Suspicions

Thank you for the reviews, everyone! Some time jumping in this chapter!

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

Eric's POV

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

"_I have one question for you though." She looked at me curiously. "Would you move in with me?"_

_Now:_

She looked at me surprised. "Yes; I would love to."

I landed on the ground and she kissed me heatedly. I quickly and eagerly returned it with a smile on my face and hers as well. I stopped kissing her though, since she had to take the test tomorrow. She adorned a slight frown, making her lips look more kissable. I chuckled and kissed her again.

"Thank you, Bella." I gave her one last light kiss before setting her on the ground, keeping an arm around her. "We can talk more about that tomorrow, okay?" She nodded. I led her to the front door of the house.

"Can you tell if Sookie is still awake?" she asked me.

I concentrated my hearing on where Sookie, and Bill Compton, were. They were talking of how much they disliked me; defamation. Sookie had also mentioned of not being able to wait for Bella to arrive; Bill agreed. "Yes, she is. It seems she is waiting for you. Her boyfriend is here as well."

She was genuinely surprised. "You mean the vampire with her earlier?" I nodded, and she came closer to me for support, which caused me hold her even closer. "Don't leave me. I don't trust him or her anymore."

"I won't." I quickly thought of another possible solution, if she was agreeable to it. "If you woke up early enough, I could have someone bring you from Shreveport in the morning. You would only need to go in and get what you need to bring with you."

She looked up and nodded before kissing me. "Thank you. Will you come in with me?"

I smiled, happy she would do such a thing. "Of course." My smile turned into a smirk as I thought of how Bill Compton would react and how I could make his life miserable if he tried anything; even better would be making him leave my area. I heard Bella chuckle.

She pulled on my hand to get my attention at first, but kept pulling to the door. "Eric, will you please come in?"

"Why thank you, my lady." I bowed and kissed the back of her hand, like was common and proper over a century before.

She giggled and I winked when I looked back up. We went inside and she started towards the second story. Sookie came out of her room, followed by Bill. She saw me and wasn't happy.

"What are you doing in here? How did you even get in?" she asked me quickly. "Bella, you need to come over here by Bill and me. You can't trust him."

I could feel Bella's disbelief as I informed Sookie, "Bella wanted my help to get ready what she needs for tomorrow."

Sookie stared at me for a short second before accusing me. "You glamoured her! Eric Northman, I rescind your invitation."

I noticed Bill smirking, and growled, as I was forced out of the house. Bella turned to Sookie, mad, and I think my emotions were a little overflowing because I felt her became angrier. I kept my eye on Bill, noticing how he kept close to Sookie, and how sometimes he concentrated. It was then my theory came to be.

"Sookie, Eric did not glamour me. I can't be glamoured actually. I invited him in because I wanted his help. Eric, come in." I instantly rushed to her side.

Bella and I stared at Sookie and Bill and vice versa. Bill may not have noticed I was paying such close attention, and had kept partially concentrated on Sookie. It was easier for him as he was touching her. I heard footsteps and a heartbeat getting closer.

"What's going on out here?" the old woman voiced.

Sookie turned to Adele. "Gran, it's okay. You can go back to reading."

Adele rolled her eyes, and I heard and felt Bella trying not to laugh. I felt my own lip twitch in amusement. Bill agreed with Sookie and said nothing was happening, but I saw more to it than Bella likely did. He looked like he was concentrating on something, making my theory even more plausible. I spoke up and told Adele the truth against the Bill and Sookie.

"Mrs. Stackhouse, it seems your granddaughter thinks I glamoured Bella into letting me in when Bella merely wanted my help."

Adele turned to Sookie. "Is this true?"

Sookie looked madder, and Bill concentrated again. "No! He glamoured her!"

I felt Bella become more annoyed. "I can't be glamoured. You, however, are entirely hypocritical. You are with a vampire, yet you seem to think I can't be with one."

"I'm 25; you're only 18. You don't have enough rational thought yet, or experience to make a proper decision about being with a vampire," she explained. "Eric, I rescind your invitation."

I was pushed back out, and felt Bella being overcome with disbelief, irritation, and anger. Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton were quickly becoming on a list that usually resulted in death. I saw Bill smirk, which merely increased my ire.

I heard Bella whisper. "I rescind your invitation, Bill."

The look on his face as he flew through the air being pushed out was absolutely incredible. It was one of astonishment and anger, as well as shock. I stepped aside to avoid being the impact and laughed as he landed on the ground roughly with a grunt of pain. I heard Sookie gasp and yell for Bill. He pushed himself up off the ground and walked over to the door beside me.

"You need to leave, and leave Bella alone," Bill had the nerve to say.

"No." There was no need for him to get pushy on something that didn't belong to him.

"Sookie, though I may be younger than you, I have more rational thought and experience than you do. I took care of my mom since I was a little kid." I heard Adele gasp however a growl escaped through my lips. I didn't know this. Bill looked over at me in question, but a glare quickly made his eyes divert back to Sookie. "As for experience, I have dated a vampire before; it's why Charlie sent me here." I growled at the mention of the Cold Ones; vampires who sparkle? How can you take them seriously? Besides, how dare they leave my mate alone in the woods unprotected against a deranged vampire?! They better hope I never meet them. Bill and I exchanged glares every so often as Adele hugged Bella.

Sookie was upset, and spoke as such. Bill, on the other hand, looked calm as he concentrated hard on Sookie. Since he is so young, he would have a more difficult time of being able to perform what I thought he was doing with such a distance.

"You are still too young and shouldn't be with him," she insisted. "Bill, come in please." He ran to her.

"Eric, come in," Bella whispered. I rushed to Bella's side faster than Bill did to Sookie. I wrapped my arms around Bella so I wouldn't do anything rash and so I knew Bella was safe. Bella put her hands on my arms and kept them there.

"You can't trust him, Bella. He isn't a nice person."

Bella smirked, which made me chuckle since it looked odd on her face. She was so sweet, and no longer as innocent. "You're right." I tensed; did Sookie convince her I wasn't good? I would kill her and Bill if that was the case. "He's not. He's a nice _vampire_ to me and a threat to others." I immediately relaxed back to the state I was in previously. I turned her some and kissed her quickly but passionately. "For that matter, how do you know you can trust Bill?"

She looked shocked. "He saved my life."

Bill looked too smug and overconfident for someone who saved the person he claimed to love as an act of kindness. I decided to inform every one of my theory.

"Did your boyfriend tell you that with enough of their blood they can manipulate your emotions?"

I felt Bella feel shock for a second that turned to trust. That thrilled me, but I didn't let anyone see that. Sookie looked at me, then Bella. "That's what you're doing to her, isn't it? Did you know this, Bella?"

"Yes, I trust him though," she commented, even though I had failed to mention it to her.

"Sookie," Adele called. She looked to the woman. "Leave Bella alone. Eric's intentions are honest when it comes to Bella."

Bella smiled at Adele, and she smiled back. This made me smile a little as well; I was glad some of Bella's family accepted me.

"Gran, he's manipulating her," Sookie exclaimed.

Bill's face was one that had a slight smirk. I knew very much he was doing exactly as we were accusing him of.

"Or Bill is the one manipulating you," Bella stated.

Sookie turned accusing eyes on Bella then turned to Bill. "Tell them they are wrong!" I felt pity coming through the bond from Bella. I wondered why.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. I could see through the act he was trying to put on. He may have been good enough to fool some especially humans, but to an 1100 year old vampire, he sounded fake and rehearsed.

Sookie smiled, believing him. "Do mind of I stay with you tonight?"

"Of course not," Bill smiled.

Sookie turned towards Adele, and didn't see the look on Bill Compton's face that clearly showed this is what he wanted. "Gran, I'm going to stay at Bill's tonight."

"Okay, dear." She had a small smile, as though she knew.

Sookie ran to her room and packed. Bill was left standing out here, and I kept studying him. He looked very smug and pleased. I knew he was up to something, but the question is what did he want with Sookie Stackhouse? His expression quickly cleared once he realized I was staring at him. When Sookie came back out, they left quickly.

Bella, Adele, and I were left in the house alone. Bella walked to the couch and sat by Adele; I followed and sat on the chair on the other side of the coffee table. Bella told Adele about her plans to stay with me in Shreveport. She understood, and with a mischievous smile, she said to 'have fun'. I smirked at this; it appeared she knew what had happened. Bella told her she would be back tomorrow. She hugged her then Adele went to her bedroom to read some more before going to sleep.

Bella and I went up to her room to gather what she was taking. I took in the room when I walked in. The bedding and curtains were medium and light purple, and were the ones in the trunk of the car the night we met. I saw the flowers I sent in a vase on the dresser and smiled. She retrieved clothes, pencils, and a few necessary things for humans. Once it was in a bag, I picked her up and ran down the stairs at vampire speed. I went out the door and started flying.

"What about my car?" she asked.

I smirked. "You don't need to worry about that. I'll have someone bring you out here, and then when you are finished with the test, he can pick you up and bring you to your car. I'll come when the sun goes down."

She nodded and laid her head on my chest. I felt her sadness and hurt, and the wetness of tears on my shirt.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm fine," is the only response.

I sighed; I hated when people did this. It's the main reason you know for sure they aren't fine when they say 'I'm fine'. "No, you're not."

She looked up at me. "Do you really think Bill could be controlling Sookie's emotions?"

I thought of how he acted around her. He concentrated on her when her temper rose; he looked smug when it worked. "I do. He is enough of a jerk to do something like that. He has calmed some since we first met, but he was very young then. His maker certainly didn't help things. I don't like him, nor do I trust him."

This caused curiosity to pulse through her like her blood. "What happened the first time you met him?"

I smiled at the memories of that time.

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

_Flashback_

I was roaming the streets of San Francisco when I heard a woman scream through the slightly chilly night air.

"That's right, whore. I like it when you struggle." The man's voice was accompanied by the sound of a knife flipping out.

The woman became quiet, and for a moment, all was silent. I ran at vampire speed and with my hand severed the man's throat, but didn't decapitate him. Blood covered the woman's dress, but she didn't scream. She just gasped largely. The blood was pouring out of the man's throat. It seemed a shame to waste blood, but I had other matters to attend. I pulled my hand closer and sucked some of the blood off. It was tainted with alcohol, and certainly didn't stand out; it appeared it wouldn't matter if the blood was wasted, not for someone my age. A younger vampire would perhaps stumble upon his dead body and drain it, but I wouldn't bother.

I listened to the woman's heartbeat, and breathing, and slightly scented the air. There was no fear running through her veins, just shock. "You're not afraid," I commented.

She took a gasp of air before she answered. "I'm no stranger to dead bodies."

"The streets can be dangerous at this hour," I informed her while pulling a cloth out of my pocket and started wiping my hands clean of blood. "A lady should really be more careful."

"If I meet a lady, I'll let her know," she retorted. I smirked and silently chuckled for a moment. She was witty; I liked that.

I looked up at her and noticed she was beautiful, as was her dress. I stepped over the body and walked towards her. I reached into my pocket. "Now, that is a lovely dress. I'm sorry about all the blood," I told her sincerely. For some reason, I felt I had to apologize to the woman I just met.

"It's, um… it's fine." She said flustered.

I pulled some money out of my pocket and handed it to her. "This should cover it." I admired her bosom for a moment before looking back at her face.

"Thank you, mister," she responded.

I smirked and ran away at vampire speed, hearing her gasp in surprise. I started running towards where I would find my next meal, and entertainment. I fully intended to return tomorrow night to visit her brothel. It was known among the city.

The next night, in a different suit, I arrived at the brothel and was shown to a parlor. The madam greeted me, informed me her name was Pam, and showed me all of the women she had available so I could choose.

"We have something to satisfy even the most exotic fancies," she informed me as her girls posed and tried to look enticing. The Chink, we call her Rubber Ruby. Show the gentleman why, would you darling?"

The girl, in a red negligee, lifted her leg up straight, indeed like rubber.

"Mm, delightful," I commented. She turned back around. "But it is you I came to see."

I put a seductive look on my face, and she looked a little annoyed yet desire was there as well.

"A good merchant doesn't compete with her merchandise, sir," she told me, though her body obviously stated she wanted to.

I leaned in closely. "And a good customer knows everything has its price." I walked around her and examined the women before me, all excited at the prospect. I heard Pam take a breath to calm her body. It was then I heard the other vampires, who had apparently drawn attention to themselves. They were draining one of the girls, and glamouring her to say what they wanted. As enforcer of the area, it was my duty to stop them. I walked out of human sight quickly and started using vampire speed until I found them. Pam followed and watched.

"_I am just a blood bag; my life is meaningless."_

"_Good little, whore," said the vampire. "Now say, 'drain me, Daddy, drain me 'til I'm dead.'"_

The vampires laughed. _"Drain me, Daddy, drain me 'til I'm dead."_

The young male bit back down and continued to drink. I chose this moment to walk in using vampire speed with my fangs out. The woman stood up; I recognized her as Lorena Krasiki, a nearly 150 year or so vampire. The vampires were both undressed to undergarments. I immediately picked her up by the throat and held her.

"Get your hands off of her!" the young male shouted.

"William, don't!" Lorena tried to order.

He stood and ran to the fireplace and broke off one of the wooden candlesticks. I threw her into the wall, where she fell to the floor. The man tried to stake me, but I held the make-shift stake in place. I knew Pam was watching. Lorena stood up, and William kept trying to force the stake into me.

"Lorena, you procreated," I stated with smile. I chuckled. "And he is protective; how sweet." I said and looked at her.

After realizing he couldn't win, he asked, "Who are you?"

I looked at him. "Eric Northman, but to you, the true death." I pulled the candlestick out of his grip and threw it out the door. Pam stepped to the side to avoid being hit, and I heard her gasp. It hit the door on the other side of the hall.

William looked back to me after the shock wore off, and tried to reach out; presumably to reach his hand in my chest and pull my heart out, as though he could. Lorena sped over and stopped him. She put her fangs up and looked at me.

"Eric, please, he's new. He doesn't understand," she begged. I considered letting him live.

"I understand perfectly. If Mr. Northman wants a fight, he can fight a man," William antagonized.

I started laughing. "Well, he is brave and loyal. Strong for one so young," I pointed out. I retracted my fangs, still staring at him. "It would be a shame to waste a promising vampire," I looked at Lorena now. "Simply because his maker failed to educate him on how to treat his elders."

"Thank you," she answered nodding.

"Hm." I kept my eye on Lorena, and William.

"We did not know this was your territory. We deeply regret any inconvenience we may have caused," Lorena rattled.

"Oh, it is the lady you owe the apology to," I told them.

They looked stunned for a moment before hesitantly looking at Pam then back at me and I remained in the same stoic, authoritative position I had been in.

"And five hundred dollars for every girl you drained," Pam stated boldly.

Lorena turned towards her in shock. She was certainly not pleased with having to deal with a human civilly. I smirked after a moment. Lorena gave a curt nod.

"We are sorry," Lorena said. Pam inclined her head in acknowledgement. "Aren't we, William?"

I had still been smirking at Pam until now. He walked up to me and stared for a moment before walking out of the room and speeding away. Lorena looked scared for a moment.

"You had better get him under control," I told Lorena before she nodded and sped away.

"I believe we have a debt to settle," spoke Pam.

I turned to her and smiled. I walked over to her and kissed her roughly. We went to one of the rooms and continued further.

_End Flashback_

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

I told Bella the story in a condensed version, and one of my favorite lines she said (about meeting a lady on the street). We both laughed at that.

"That's funny. Did anything happen after that?"

I smiled. "Yes. You've met her before. It's Pam."

She looked shocked. "She was nearly killed?"

I stared at her in disbelief for a moment. "That's the first thing that comes to your mind?" I chuckled as I shook my head; it was surprising that is what she thinks about.

"Well, the comeback doesn't surprise me. She's still like that. However, it's still hilarious!"

I chuckled at her antics and landed on the front lawn. I carried her to the same bedroom as last night. I laid her on the bed and put the bag on one of the tables in the room. I looked at her a little lustfully. Her arousal hit instantly and she started undressing quickly. I chuckled.

"Eager, are we?" I asked, walking over to her.

She nodded. "Yeah."

I leaned in, and she wrapped her arms around my neck before kissing me on the lips. She truly wants more. With regret, I pulled her arms from their hold and backed away.

"As much as I want to, you need your rest if you are going to wake up early enough to go to Bon Temps in the morning to take the test," I reminded her.

She frowned, clearly not happy. "That doesn't mean we can't continue where we left off earlier."

She climbed onto her knees and started undoing the top buttons of my shirt. She got two undone before I pulled her hands away. I leaned down and kissed her.

"I'm sorry, Bella. You need your rest."

I kissed her one last time before releasing her hands and rushing out before I gave into the strong desire to keep claiming her. I went into my office and gathered some files and documents that need reviewed from various ventures and brought them out to the living room. I sat on the couch and went over them, making notes on some and signing off on others. I heard Bella moving around in the room, before coming out into the hallway. I sighed slightly, knowing she wouldn't get much rest; she could be just as stubborn as I was it seemed. She made her way to the living room.

She walked up and leaned over the couch from behind me. She moved her head around and kissed me; I eagerly kissed back for a short minute, but stopped.

"You need to try and get some rest, Bella," I insisted.

A pout adorned her lips. "I don't want to. I want to continue from before."

"Exactly. You want to; however, you need to rest."

She sighed and looked pouty, but I didn't intend on giving in. The only part I ever saw was her neck up. She kissed me on the neck, going closer to the spot where I bite her, and heard Pam coming up behind us. I knew she didn't expect Bella to be here.

"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?"

I quickly rose and came around the couch, now noticing the compromising position Bella had been in and the lack of clothing she had on trying to seduce me. She hid behind me with her arms covering her chest. I chuckled.

"I do say I have to agree," I commented before stepping beside her to turn and admire Bella's body better. The heels made her legs look even longer, and the muscles in her taut stomach were revealed as she only had on panties. She looked delicious.

She blushed and quickly stepped out of the shoes before running to the bedroom. I heard her climb in bed after putting the shoes down. I chuckled.

"It seems Bella is shy," observed Pam.

"So it seems," I agreed. I looked at her. "Can you and Longshadow handle Fangtasia?"

"Yeah." She paused, debating on whether or not to ask. "I thought she was going back home to Bon Temps?"

I sighed. "She was. Sookie was there waiting for her with Bill Compton. They planned on cornering her and trying to convince her to stay away from me." I felt her getting upset at this. "I believe they were even going to try and glamour her." She was mad now, and I hadn't even gotten to the worst. "Sookie and Bella got into a fight, and Compton's reactions and actions lead me to believe that he is manipulating Sookie. He looked like he was concentrating on her, and when he did, she would pretty much do whatever he wanted."

"If that's true, you only need evidence to bring to the magister. You can't go on speculation alone and expect a conviction. If he is doing that, he's breaking the law." She paused and became gleeful. "Does this mean we could end Bill Compton?"

I smirked for a second. "No, however unfortunate that is."

She didn't appear too happy about that, and I agreed. I couldn't do anything though.

"So, do you hear what dear Bella is doing right now?" she asked, with an air of mischievousness.

I focused on the room, and the sounds I heard made my fangs extend. I heard Pam chuckle. "Come back after you finish at Fangtasia; we need to talk more."

She nodded and took off, still chuckling. I zoomed into Bella's room.

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

After Bella fell asleep, I untangled myself and got up. I ran to my room and dressed before speeding back downstairs. I knew Pam would be back soon. I went to pick up my files I had been looking through on the various business ventures I was involved in. I carried them to my office, laying them on my desk. I sat down and picked up the phone. I called Bobby and informed him of his new task of taking Bella to Bon Temps High School in the morning. I also added that if she arrived in anything other than perfect condition, the results would be dire. His shaky voice agreed.

After I finished that, Pam arrived. She automatically came in here. She informed me of the damage and the money the club made tonight. It was a good profit. The only damage was a couple of tables and chairs. That could be fixed during the day.

"So, did you have fun?"

I looked up from the file I was reading on Bill Compton on the computer. This was a quick change of subject. "Yes."

She smirked. "What?" I asked.

"You are head over heels aren't you?" I rolled my eyes. "Admit it, you're in love."

I sighed. "Yes, you're point is?"

"She's human." That's all she needed to say. I could feel and see concern coming from her.

"I am well aware of that." I stared in her eyes for a minute. "Why do you care if she's human?"

"I remember the stories you and Godric told me about mates. If something happened and you couldn't make it in time…" she trailed off, with the known ending unspoken.

I sighed, worried. I had thought of that. "I know. I'm worried about that myself. We've only known each other two days. We haven't gotten to that part in our conversations yet."

I knew she was worried about me, and I couldn't blame her. If the stories were true, I dreaded the thought of what would happen even more than Pam, or Godric. According to legends, it is even more painful to lose a child than your maker.

I stood up and walked around to sit in the chair beside Pam. I took her hands in mine and looked into her eyes. "I have every intention of turning her. If something should happen, I want you to become a maker." Her eyes teared up with blood.

She rushed forward in a rare display of emotion and wrapped her arms around me. I held her tightly to me and kissed her forehead as she started to cry for a minute. "Don't talk like that," she mumbled against my chest.

I smirked. "It needed to be said, but let's not make a habit of this emotional stuff. Agreed?"

I felt her smirk and a short laugh escaped. "Agreed."

I kissed her head again before she sat up. She grabbed a Kleenex and cleaned herself up. "Besides, I'm still right here and Bella's safe asleep."

She smiled. "I know."

I leaned back in the chair as Pam got comfortable again. "Bella accepted the offer to move in with me." I smiled. I couldn't wait until she didn't have to worry about school in the morning.

Pam smiled. "Congratulations."

I nodded. "I can't wait until tomorrow is over, then I won't have to worry about keeping her awake at night." I smirked as I commented. I wouldn't have to worry about the time, merely whether or not she is hungry, and of course other human moments.

Pam chuckled. "Are you going to bring her to Fangtasia often?" I raised an eyebrow, and she rolled her eyes. "If you are, I need to know so I can figure out a way to keep the humans off the stage more. I saw her become uncomfortable when the guy climbed up there before you kicked him."

I thought before nodding my head, noting that I would be bringing her. "How do you plan on keeping them away?" I wondered.

She thought for a minute. "Maybe we could install a black velvet rope blocking the path."

I smiled. I liked that idea. "Have it done soon."

She nodded and took out her phone. I stood up and went back to the other side of the desk. I read more of the file about Bill Compton before Pam got up and came around to look as well. She read the part I had on screen before I felt disbelief.

"Well, this could certainly cause problems," she commented.

I nodded. "I think so, too."

Bill Compton is not all he appears to be it seemed.

~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~Eric!~

It was now nearing the time to wake up Bella. Pam had just gone to the bedroom she had here, since it was too close to dawn. Since it was still dark enough outside, therefore inside, I walked to Bella's room and lied down beside her. At the moment she needed to wake, I kissed her once before gently shaking her.

"Bella," I said.

She stirred before opening her eyes. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. "Good morning," she mumbled.

I chuckled. "Good morning, my Bella. You need to get ready now if you're going to make it to Bon Temps in time."

She nodded. "Okay."

She leaned over to kiss me before sitting up. She gasped, and looked at me guiltily. "I forgot; I'm sorry."

"What?" I asked.

She took on a sheepish, but still guilty expression. "I forgot that I agreed to start working for Sam Merlotte tomorrow; that was before I came to Fangtasia."

I raised my eyebrow. "Sam Merlotte?" I hoped she meant someone other than the shifter.

She nodded. "He owns Merlotte's Bar and Grill. It would be as a waitress."

I repressed the growl threatening to escape. "No."

She looked shocked. "Why?" she exclaimed.

"I don't trust the shifter. Besides, I was hoping you would entertain the crowd at Fangtasia with me; after about a week that is."

"After about a week?" she asked to confirm. I nodded. "Why?"

I smirked and kissed her on her throat. "I'll let you guess."

I instantly smelled her arousal, and she blushed. She quickly began her human routine and was done in around fifteen minutes. I walked with her down to the kitchen. She ate breakfast and grabbed her purse that had pencils in it before sitting in the living room to wait for Bobby to arrive.

He arrived just in time and I kissed Bella on her way out. The look I sent Bobby assured Bella would be safe. I locked the house up before I retreated into my bedroom to get ready to sleep for the day. The last thought on my mind was of Bella.


	12. Exam

A/N: Sorry it has taken so long to update! There has been a lot going on personally, but now I can finally write again! On a positive note, _A Bright New Future_ has been nominated for an Energize WIP Award for Most Promising Crossover Fanfiction! Thank you to the person or persons that nominated me! Voting begins July 13th until July 20th at .com if you would like to vote. Thank you every one! Here's the next chapter!

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I woke to a gentle shaking, curled up next to Eric; I'm not sure if it was my imagination or if I felt lips on me.

"Bella," I heard

I opened my eyes and smiled, which he answered. "Good morning," I said sleepily.

He chuckled. "Good morning, my Bella. You need to get ready now if you're going to make it to Bon Temps in time."

I nodded. "Okay." I leaned over and kissed him before I sat up. Just then, I remembered what I told Sookie's boss, and gasped before looking over at Eric guiltily. "I forgot; I'm sorry."

"What?"

I felt the heat rise to my cheeks and looked down. "I forgot that I agreed to start working for Sam Merlotte tomorrow; that was before I came to Fangtasia."

His eyebrow rose. "Sam Merlotte?"

The look on his face and the tone of voice pointed to that being a bad thing. I nodded. "He owns Merlotte's Bar and Grill. It would be as a waitress," I told him as clarification.

His lips tightened, as did his jaw and eyes. His expression became hard and his eyes became unbreakable blue steel. "No."

That surprised me. "Why?"

His answer was immediate. "I don't trust the shifter. Besides, I was hoping you would entertain the crowd at Fangtasia with me; after about a week that is."

"After about a week?" He nodded. "Why?"

He smirked and kissed me on the throat. "I'll let you guess." My body quickly responded and I blushed since I knew he could tell. I quickly began what I needed to, brushing my teeth, fixing my hair, getting dressed, and making sure I had everything I needed. Eric walked me to the kitchen and I found some fruit, eggs, and bacon. He watched me while I cooked the items and ate.

"You know, for someone who doesn't eat, you have a lot of food here," I commented.

He smiled. "I had it all brought in for you so you would have something to eat when you are here. Just let me know what you like and don't like so I can have them here for you."

I smiled back. "Thank you." I leaned over and gave him a kiss. I put my dishes in the sink and grabbed my purse, packed with all I needed, before waiting in the living room for the man Eric had coming to get me. All the while, he was giving me kisses and saying things to encourage me and help me do better. When the man arrived, Eric kissed me on my way out, but I didn't miss the look Eric gave the man that clearly stated harm would come to him if anything happened. I mentally sighed, but understood he wanted to keep me safe. The door closed behind us and I slid into the front seat of the car on the passenger's side as the man climbed in the driver's side.

He started the ignition. "Bon Temps High School is the first destination, correct?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

He put the car in gear and started the drive. "I'm Bobby Burnham."

"Bella Swan," I replied.

"You're younger than I thought you would be," he commented as he pulled onto the main road after going through the metal gates and security system. "Usually Eric is attracted to women with blonde hair and a little older than you."

I didn't know what to say to that other than, "True love doesn't know age or physical appearance."

He looked at me before turning back to the road. It was a long, silent drive to Bon Temps, and I was glad when we arrived. He stopped in front of the pathway to the office in front of the first building. After confirming the time to come back, he pulled away to do whatever Eric bade him. Personally, I don't particularly like this guy so far.

It was only a little after eight o'clock in the morning and it was already warm and humid. I was glad, and happy to be wearing shorts and a tank top instead of rain boots and parka. I walked into the doors, then inside the office as I made my way to the secretary. She looked up and smiled.

"Isabella Swan, correct?" she quickly stood after grabbing a few papers, not even waiting for confirmation.

"Yes."

"This way," she told me.

I followed her down the hallway, classrooms on both sides, filled with students starting the day. She led me to the library at the end of the hall, where a small testing area had been set up for me. A man walked over to us, and the secretary introduced him as Mr. Fox, and the teacher would be the one giving me the test. The secretary left and the teacher led me to the table in the back he had prepared. He gave me a calculator and made sure I knew how to use it. I pulled out my pencils and extra eraser before setting my purse on the floor. I was given scrap paper as well, to work out anything I needed, and reference sheets like the Periodic Table of Elements before receiving my test.

There were four sections, English, history, science, and mathematics. English and history were really easy for me, and I had no problem with those. Science I had to think through the questions some. Math, though, took me the longest and was certainly the hardest; it had never been my favorite subject.

I did get to have a break in the middle, which I liked. Eric had made sure I had some water and snacks in my purse in case. I would have to give him a kiss later.

After everything was finished and handed in, I was able to leave. Waiting in front of the school, seemingly patient, was Bobby. When he saw me, he sat up and put his book down before putting his seat belt back on. I got in the front seat.

"We're going to your aunt's house off Hummingbird Road, correct?" he verified.

"Yes. Do you know how to get there?" I asked. I wasn't sure if Eric gave him directions.

"Yeah, I looked it up." I nodded and he pulled out.

He drove directly to the house, again in silence. When we arrived, he stopped the car. I thanked him for doing this, which he waved off, then started towards the house. He left shortly after I reached the porch.

I walked into the house to find Adele in the kitchen, cooking.

"Hello, Bella! Are you hungry? I'm making lunch," she greeted me vibrantly with a bright smile full of joy.

"Thank you," I replied. I walked over and gave her a hug, which she happily returned.

"Are you the only one here?" I was secretly hoping Sookie wasn't here.

"Jason usually stops by for lunch, even when he works. He should be here any minute. Sookie should be at work already. How did your test go, darling?"

The door opened, Jason yelling "Gran?" before walking heavily through the house on wooden floors with boots on. He turned and smiled when he saw me. "Hey, Bella. How are ya?"

I smiled back since his smile was infectious. "I'm great. I took the test this morning. I think I did really well."

"Good! Congratulations!" He hugged me and I squeezed back.

"Yes, congratulations, Bella!" Adele cheered.

"Thanks, both of you." I blushed, which triggered Jason's laugh.

He put his hand up to tickle my cheeks, which made me start laughing since I was extremely ticklish. "Looks like Bella blushes easy." His face donned a smirk that could actually match some of Eric's, which scared me.

Adele turned and looked at him. "Jason, leave Bella alone. There's no need to cause her any more embarrassment. She's been through enough, more than you know."

Jason sobered up immediately. "What happened?"

Adele sighed before looking at me. "Is it alright?" I nodded. "Last night, Sookie saw Bella at Fangtasia with Eric and got upset. When Bella arrived back, Sookie and Mr. Compton started to harass Eric and Bella. It nearly became a fight in the living room. Eric believes Sookie is being manipulated by Bill."

Jason was silent for a moment before the tirade came. "That mother fucker! I should go and stake that bastard! And Sookie… she may be my sister, but there ain't no reason to treat any part of your family like that."

"Jason, I don't want to hear those words," Adele reprimanded him. "As for Sookie, she's being manipulated into being that way."

He took on a thoughtful look. "Do you think I could find him asleep during the day so I can stake him?"

Quite sure I knew he was imagining ways to kill and torture Bill, I informed him, "Not likely. They keep themselves well hidden during the day. I'm not even sure he would tell Sookie about where he stays."

He looked a little disappointed, but was likely still imagining ways to kill him.

"Alright, enough talk of killing. Lunch is ready," Adele announced.

She put everything on the table she prepared: the tossed salad with a few different dressings, roasted chicken with gravy, potatoes, carrots, and peas. Jason happily ate his plate, enjoying it by the look on his face. Adele looked happy too. I was feeling some happy, some sad, and some hesitant at the conversation that would take place in Merlotte's. The food was delicious though. It was nice to sit and eat and make idle talk with relatives. It seemed Bon Temps was quite the gossiping town, worse than Forks even. Adele seemed to know everything.

After we were finished eating lunch, Adele pulled out a pecan pie. Jason said she was locally famous for them. After trying it, I could see why. It was incredible! I would certainly be asking for the recipe, along with a few others. Soon after, Jason left to return to work and I helped Adele with the dishes.

She decided to help me pack everything I would take with me to live with Eric. We left the bedding and curtains, in case I came back and spent the night and because Adele liked them as it gave the room a fresh, new look. She was now considering some changes to other parts of the house.

The only thing left to do now was to tell Sam Merlotte that I couldn't work for him. I told Adele I would be back soon and climbed into the car. Making my way towards the bar, I went over the different ways to tell Sam nicely instead of how Eric put it. I pulled into a spot in the front parking lot and nervously made my way inside. I hoped I wouldn't see Sookie, but knew I probably would, and I was right. Shortly after I came in, as it wasn't busy, she immediately started over without seeing who it was to seat the possible new customer.

She looked up and saw it was me. She looked surprised for a moment but covered it well. "Bella, are you here to eat?"

I guess she forgot. "No. Sam said he wanted me to start today after school, but since I took a test to graduate early today, school ended early for me."

Comprehension lit up her eyes. "Follow me; I'll lead you to Sam's office."

I nodded. "Thanks."

She turned and led me to the back, showing me where things were along the way. She knocked on a wooden door that had a sign reading 'Private' and from inside came the voice of the owner welcoming us in.

"Sam, Bella's here," Sookie announced.

He looked up from the paperwork he was doing and smiled. "Thanks, Sook. Bella, come in."

Sookie nodded, I thanked her, and she smiled in return before bouncing back to the front of the bar to serve tables. I quickly observed the room. His desk was filled with paperwork and a computer, there were some filing cabinets to the side, some artwork on the walls, an extra few chairs, a plant on one of the filing cabinets (as though there wasn't enough surrounding the area), a table with a lamp, a fireplace with a mantle, some bar supplies, and a few other things scattered around the office.

"Bella, I'm surprised to see you here this early. I figured it would be at least 3:30 before you came." He offered me to sit down, and I did.

"Well, I took a test to see if I can graduate early, so if my phone rings, that's likely the school calling to tell me if I passed or not," I told him.

He smiled. "Congratulations, Bella. Was this your idea?"

I blushed. "Not exactly." I paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "How much do you know about mating bonds?" I asked lowly.

He looked shocked. "As in mating bonds that form with a vampire and their mate?" In nodded. "Well, they're rare, and there isn't anything the vampire wouldn't do for their mate. Why are you asking?"

I took another breath. "Well, the other day when I left here, I went to Shreveport to get some things ready, like for the room I was staying in and school supplies. Afterwards, I stopped at this place that looked interesting that I dreamed about called Fangtasia. There, I met my vampire mate."

He sat back in shock. "You're mated to a vampire?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow." He looked thoughtful for a minute. "I'm guessing that means you won't be able to work for me then?"

I shook my head regretfully. "Sorry, but I'm not even staying in Bon Temps."

He nodded understandingly. Just then, the phone rang. I pulled out my cell phone and answered. "Hello?"

"_Isabella Swan?"_ I recognized the voice of the teacher that gave me the test.

"Speaking," I replied.

"_This is Mr. Fox from Bon Temps High School. I am calling to inform you of your test results. You passed with a grade of 96%. Congratulations, Ms. Swan. A letter informing you what you will need to do for graduation will be sent to the address we have on file for you when the time comes."_

My smile grew as I listened. "Thank you very much."

"_You're welcome. Have a nice day."_

"You too," I said.

We hung up the phone then and I sat there for a minute letting the fact I graduated early with that high of a grade make its way into my brain.

"I'm guessing you passed?" A voice asked.

My surroundings became aware around me and I realized it was Sam. "Yeah, with an A. They'll send me information to graduate later."

He smiled. "Congratulations, Bella."

"Thank you. It was my mate's idea. He paid for the test before I even knew about it." This made both of us chuckle. "Do you need any help today, since you were expecting me to be able to work?"

He thought. "If you wouldn't mind a few hours. I'll pay you for your time. The other girls will be glad for the help."

I nodded. "Okay. My mate also said what you were." I saw him stiffen. "Don't worry. I'll keep your secret safe."

He relaxed and nodded. "Thank you."

I smiled at him. He stood up and walked over to where a bag was set. He pulled out one of the t-shirts that had the Merlotte's logo on the chest.

"You may want to change into this, just in case. That way you don't ruin your shirt if you happen to have an accident." He remembered me saying I was clumsy likely.

I nodded. "Thanks."

"You can change in the bathroom and you can keep your purse in the drawer like everyone does. It'll be safe there."

He opened the drawer and I put my purse in before I went to change in the bathroom. It said Does on the door and Bucks on the other. After putting on the Merlotte's shirt, I returned to the office and put my shirt in the clear bag the other came in. Sookie was in there waiting.

"Sookie's gonna show you what to do while you're here today."

I nodded and Sookie and I left the office.

"I'm just curious, do you know if you passed your test yet?" Sookie started.

I nodded. "They called me a few minutes ago. I got an A." I smiled again.

She smiled too. "Congratulations, Bella. I'm happy for you." She hesitated. "About last night, I'm not sure what came over me. I'm really sorry."

I smiled, small and a little sad. "It's okay. As for what came over you, that would be Bill Compton. You can think clearly and know what you want to feel while he's asleep for the day, but around him, you change some. Last night, Eric got so mad that it overflowed from him to me. Vampires can change your emotions. Maybe you should try not taking any more of Bill's blood for a while and see if you feel more yourself."

She thought about it. "I'll think about it. If something changes, then I'll figure out what to do next. If nothing does, then maybe I'm starting to change but I don't completely feel myself. If he is doing something, do you think Eric might help?"

I thought. "Maybe, if I asked him to help you he would be more likely. Maybe you should try none of his blood for a few weeks, just in case it takes that long."

She smiled. "Yeah, I think I will. Thanks, Bella."

We hugged each other before she started showing me how to write a ticket, how to take an order, where each table was and the number, and everything else I would need to know. I watched her a couple of times before she let me do it. After I got it right, she let me try on my own. When I got the hang of everything, including serving, I worked on my own for the few hours I would be there.

When the shift was over, I got to keep the tips I made, plus Sam would send me a check to Sookie's address for today. I was happy and I was able to help. I also managed not to drop anything or spill anything.

I changed back into my shirt and grabbed my purse. Sam thanked me for working today, and wished me luck. I thanked him and said goodbye and left.

On my way home, I briefly wondered what Eric would think of what I did today, and shuddered at the look he would likely give. Unfortunately, it was 6:55 by now, and Eric would be here any minute. I wouldn't have time to shower, maybe not even change. I made it to the Stackhouse residence and got out of the car. As soon as I was on the porch, I heard a thud behind me. I turned and standing there was Eric.

I felt a smile light up my face and rushed towards him. He caught me when I started to fall and whisked me into his arms. We kissed each other passionately.

"I have everything ready; you'll just have to help put it in the car," I told him. He nodded. "I had such a good day today. I took the test, Sookie apologized and is starting to not trust Bill since she can think clearly while he's asleep and isn't going to take any of his blood for a few weeks to see if he really is manipulating her, and now you're here."

I smiled and kissed him again. He smiled back. "How well did you do on the test?"

I grinned proudly and answered, "I got a 96 out of 100."

He smiled. "Congratulations, my Bella. I told you that you are smart. I'm very proud of you. You deserve more than the world." He kissed my mouth before putting me down.

He encircled me in his arms and put his chin on top of my head then became absolutely still. That worried me. He pulled back and looked at my face, and the look in his eyes was a cold fire that was contained but wanting to break free and nearly promised violence. Unfortunately, I figured this was at least partially directed at me.

"Bella, why the _hell_ do you smell like the shifter?"


	13. Moving In

A/N: Thank you for the reviews everyone! I'm glad all of you love this!

'_Bella, why do you smell like the shifter?'_

I gasped a little. "You can smell that?"

He raised his eyebrow impatiently. "Yes, now answer me. Why?"

I tried to look away, but he kept pulling my face back to his. I sighed. "When I went into Merlotte's to tell him earlier, he was perfectly fine with it. He understood. Since everyone had counted on someone being there today to help, I asked if he needed help for some of the day. He said if I could work a few hours, it would be great."

Eric was silent for a minute, thinking. "This is the only time you'll ever be doing something like that." He looked at me intently.

It wasn't a question, and I knew it. It was more along the lines of a command, which I knew I had no choice except to follow. "I know. It was only because all the waitresses had counted on having help today."

He stared at me then nodded. "Are you at least getting paid for the time you were there?"

I nodded excitedly. "He's sending me a check to this address for the hours and I got to keep all the tips I made." I reached into my pocket book and pulled out the stack of bills.

He smiled patiently and indulgingly. "How much is there?"

"I don't know. I haven't counted it yet."

He held out his hand. "May I?" I nodded and he flipped through the stack quickly, much faster than I could have. "There is $154." He handed the money back and I slipped it in my purse. "You must have been an excellent waitress."

I nodded and jumped into his arms to kiss him. "I was! I didn't even trip or spill anything!"

He chuckled. "That's good." I smiled. He carried me to the door and walked inside. He sat me on the couch. "Good evening, Mrs. Stackhouse."

She smiled warmly. "Mr. Northman, good evening to you as well." She turned to me. "Bella, how did today go?"

"Good. Sam will send me a check to here, and I got to keep the tips."

"Wonderful. Did you get the grades from the test yet?" she inquired.

"Yeah, I got an A. They'll send me graduation information later."

"Oh, congratulations!" She clapped her hands.

"Lover, is your car unlocked?" I nodded. "Is everything upstairs in your room?" I nodded again. "Very well; I shall go pack the car."

I smiled and thanked him before he started moving at vampire speed. I thanked Adele for everything and we hugged each other. Eric was only gone a short minute, but I think I heard him go by at least a few times. We said our goodbyes, and promises to keep in touch.

I walked out the door; Eric opened the door for me and closed it after I was in before getting in the driver's seat and starting towards Shreveport. I could feel butterflies feeling my stomach as I realized this was actually happening. I wasn't going to be living with my relatives; I was going to be living with my 1100 year old vampire mate in a different town an hour away. Eric must have felt what was flipping in my stomach. His hand on mine drew me out of my thoughts and into the present.

"What is it, Bella?" he asked softly.

"It's just… I've never lived with anyone other than my mom, grandma, and dad until the other day when I came here, and now I'm moving in with you. There are just butterflies of nervousness and happiness is there too." I smiled at him. "I love you. That's why I'm here."

He smiled back at me before pulling my hand up to kiss it. "I love you as well. You'll get used to the idea quickly after the couple of days alone. You'll also see the extent I love you."

I blushed and reached across to peck him on the cheek. He pouted. "No more than that?"

I smiled. "Not while you're driving."

He grinned mischievously and looked in the mirrors before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road. "What about now?"

I laughed before giving him a sweet kiss on the mouth that he turned into something very passionate and needy. After I was back firmly in my seat, he sped off and continued on. We arrived at his house only thirty minutes after we left due to his driving, and I was actually glad for that this time. He helped me out of the car and led me to the door.

"Have you eaten yet?" he asked as he unlocked the house using a few things.

"No; I wanted to get home so I could see you."

He nodded; the next destination seemed to be the kitchen. "Find something to eat while I bring everything in." I nodded and he took off at lightning speed.

I looked around and made a small sandwich, as I was more eager for other activities. I had just finished eating when Eric came back in. I threw away the trash before I leaped into his arms. He kissed me, but his face squished up. I looked at him confused.

"Before we continue, you must clean your mouth. The taste of whatever that is doesn't appeal to us vampires."

He whisked me away to somewhere I hadn't been taken to yet and put down in the bathroom. My toothbrush and toothpaste were already there. I quickly took care of that before turning around to Eric. He picked me up and I felt a bed under me in the next moment. Our kisses became quickly heated and I couldn't be happier. Tension was building and it wanted release.

That night, I had never felt so much pleasure. Maybe because we had more of the night to ourselves than previously. I fell asleep curled next to him. That night, my dream was odd.

I saw a man that had tattoos, and green eyes that could rival Eric's blue intensity. He had light brown hair and was dressed in a nearly see through white ensemble. He stood there looking at me. Suddenly Eric was there beside him. He had on a black suit with a purple tie that was clean and pressed and his hair was shorter and frostier, like he had highlights put in. Then appeared Pam in a long red dress with lace and beads that belonged at the turn of the century. Her hair was partially up and was curled. They all had their fangs out. After a moment, I appeared beside Pam. I had on dark jeans and a purple top with purple shoes. My hair was down like usual and straight. What amazed me though is I had fangs sticking out of my mouth and a drop of blood running down from the corner of my mouth.

I woke up with a gasp, and Eric's arms tightened around me.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

I looked at him. "I had a weird dream is all." I thought for a minute. "How are you awake?"

He smiled. "Because I'm so old. My maker needs even less sleep than I do. So, tell me about your dream?"

I hesitated, but an encouraging nod had me spilling everything. I told them the order they appeared and what everyone looked like and was wearing. "You all had your fangs sticking out," I told him.

Eric looked amazed, but I wasn't finished. "Then I appeared. I had on jeans and purple otherwise." I paused for a second. "I had fangs too, and blood was running down from my mouth at the corner."

His arms tightened around me and he kissed me until I calmed a little. "What has you so shaken, my love?"

I looked at him. "Why would there be blood on my lips but not any of yours?"

He thought a second. "You might have seen yourself shortly after you were turned. Newborns aren't exactly known for controlling their bloodlust."

I shivered at the thought. "Do you know who the other man was?"

He was silent for a moment. "He's my maker. His name is Godric. I planned on telling you of him today. He's coming to visit soon." He smiled and looked happy. "I can't wait for the two of you to meet. You'll like him; he's one of the kindest vampires to those he thinks should be treated as such. If someone crosses him or those he cares about though…"

He trailed off, and I was sure I was glad he did.

"What about your hair?" I asked to get our minds off the violence.

He smirked a second. "Sometimes, I cut it short. It depends on the style and how I feel." Pausing, he studied me. "Would you like my hair better if it were the same as your dream?"

I was surprised at the question. "It's your hair. Have it how you want it."

He chuckled slightly. "That isn't what I asked. I have been considering it for a couple of weeks now. What's your opinion?"

I looked at him and considered it both ways. "I wouldn't mind either way."

He stared intently for a long minute. "That means you would rather have it shorter," he deduced, though how I'm not sure.

"I didn't say that."

His eyes hardened slightly as he looked at me. "You're not denying it either."

He caught me there. I sighed. "No; I'm not denying it. You looked _really_ sexy."

He smirked. "Then I shall have shorter hair."

His eyes hardened much more, and he was on top of me, pinning me down where I wasn't able to move a bit. He leaned his head down to my ear, his cool breath making me shiver.

"A word of caution. Do not lie to me again, my Isabella, or I shall be forced to take action. Believe me you will not like the consequences. Do you understand?"

I could hear the warning clearly, and not just in the words, but his tone as well. Regardless of being his mate, he would discipline me if I did something. The thought made me shiver and my stomach turn. I understood completely.

"Yes, sir," I breathed out.

He smirked as he pulled back. He still hovered over me and I leaned up to kiss him. He moved his head. "Sorry, lover. Not right now. Consider you having to wait until later for orgasms the result of you lying to me. This is going easy on you compared to if it happens again."

He leaned down and kissed my neck over my pulse point, making me moan, before climbing off of me and helping me stand. "Everything you need to take a shower is in there. Your clothes are on the right side of the closet."

I nodded and went off to find something to wear for the day. I was lucky Pam decided to get some clothes that I would consider too revealing. I was wondering if Eric could be seduced easy. I would find out after I showered.

Sorry for the short chapter, but the next one promises good surprises! I can come up with ideas for punishment for Bella, but I would like to hear your opinion please! Thank you!


	14. Surprise

Yay! It's time to get inside Eric's head again! Thank you everyone who voted! _A Bright New Future_ came in third place!

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Bella had fallen asleep on me, and I couldn't be happier. We were finally in bed together without me having to leave her to sleep. I fell asleep shortly before sunrise, so I could make sure I could be with Bella as much as possible. After waking, I watched Bella sleep for a while before she started shifting uneasily. Her heart rate sped up before she awoke with a gasp; my arms instinctively tightened around her.

"What is it?" I asked her quietly, so I wouldn't startle her.

She looked at me. "I had a weird dream is all." She paused. "How are you awake?"

I smiled, since I expected this question. "Because I'm so old. My maker needs even less sleep than I do. So, tell me about your dream?"

She bit her lip, hesitating. I encouraged her to tell me, and she didn't disappoint. She told me of my maker appearing, then me with short hair, then Pam in the dress I met her in, and all our fangs were descended. Then she told me of her having fangs and blood on her lips. I tightened my grip and kissed her until her breathing and heart beat calmed.

"What has you so shaken, my love?" I questioned.

She raised her head to mine. "Why would there be blood on my lips but not any of yours?" she asked me, I could hear a trace of fear in her voice that I'm not even sure she was aware of.

I considered the possibilities and only came up with one really good one. "You might have seen yourself shortly after you were turned. Newborns aren't exactly known for controlling their bloodlust," I informed her.

She shivered. "Do you know who the other man was?"

I was silent as I thought about my maker and the thousand years we've spent together. "He's my maker. His name is Godric. I planned on telling you of him today. He's coming to visit soon." A genuine smile graced my lips and I felt happy. I would finally see my maker again after a few decades. "I can't wait for the two of you to meet. You'll like him; he's one of the kindest vampires to those he thinks should be treated as such. If someone crosses him or those he cares about though…"

I trailed off, saving Bella from hearing of horror stories or giving her nightmares. There have been times I have seen him slaughter entire mobs of people trying to harm him and I. It was magnificent to me, especially the first time I saw it when I was a young vampire.

"What about your hair?" she asked changing the topic.

I smirked a second at how she thought. "Sometimes, I cut it short. It depends on the style and how I feel. Pausing, he studied me. "Would you like my hair better if it were the same as your dream?" I asked her, truly wanting to know what she thought.

I could feel her surprise, and her mouth opened a little. "It's your hair. Have it how you want it."

I chuckled lightly, since she was avoiding. "That isn't what I asked. I have been considering it for a couple of weeks now. What's your opinion?"

She looked thoughtful for a minute. "I wouldn't mind either way."

I studied her tightly, noting her slight nervousness, the slight tone of her voice that was off its usual key, and slight gleam of hope in her eye. She just lied to me; yes it was small and white and designed to keep me happy, however, due to the way Godric taught me how to behave, it is considered a lie still.

"That means you would rather have it shorter," I stated.

"I didn't say that," she protested.

My eyes became tighter as I looked at her. She didn't realize she was playing with the vampire side of me continuing to be only partially truthful. "You're not denying it either."

I felt a slight surge of guilt from her for a moment before it dissipated, knowing she truly didn't mind telling me what she did. This would need to be remedied. She sighed.

"No; I'm not denying it. You looked _really_ sexy."

I could smell her arousal and feel the lust. I smirked as I figured out how I was going to punish Bella. "Then I shall have shorter hair." My eyes became like steel, and so did my grip on Bella. I was on top of her in an instant, holding her down so she couldn't move a centimeter. I leaned down the her ear, letting my breath go across her neck and into her ear, which made her shiver.

"A word of caution. Do not lie to me again my Isabella, or I shall be forced to take action. Believe me you will not like the consequences. Do you understand?"

Her breathing picked up and I could feel her become nervous with only a slight hint of fear. Good; this would work and she would be honest from now on I hoped. "Yes, sir," she breathed.

I smirked as I pulled back, glad she understood. As I hovered over her, she leaned up, intent on kissing me. I moved my head to the side, out of her reach. "Sorry, lover. Not right now. Consider you having to wait until later for orgasms the result of you lying to me. This is going easy on you compared to if it happens again."

I leaned down to kiss the pulse point on her neck, knowing it was a sensitive area on her, and she moaned. I stood, and helped her up as well. "Everything you need to take a shower is in there. Your clothes are on the right side of the closet."

She nodded before walking off. I went into my office, listening for any sign she might try to pleasure herself. I did a little paperwork after I heard the water start. I finished before she did, but the phone rang. I was surprised as I looked at the caller ID to see it was my maker.

"Good afternoon, Godric. How nice to hear from you," I greeted.

"Hello, Eric. I have good news." I waited eagerly. "We were able to finish everything here early, and I am able to leave today. I was wondering if you would mind if I came tonight instead."

I could barely contain myself enough to answer semi-calmly. "Of course. I will be glad to see you so soon. I will prepare my mate, as she moved in last night."

I leaned over and pushed the button to make the house cover up all the windows so it would be safe to leave the room. I had retractable metal over all the areas that would let sunshine in. This way, I was not contained to two rooms the whole part of the day I was awake.

"Excellent. I will see you tonight, my son."

We said a few more pleasantries before we hung up. I needed to prepare the guest room, and I needed to get food into Bella. I walked into the bedroom to find Bella lying face down on the bed, propped up on her elbows. She had on a short black skirt, black high heels, and a small red shirt that exposed her breasts perfectly in her position. She was exceptionally hot right now, but I couldn't and wouldn't give in to this.

"Bella, you will have to wait until later. First, you need to eat. I'll tell you the second part as you eat. Come on." She pouted but didn't move. "Bella," I said sternly.

Her breath caught and she swallowed. I could feel nervousness from her now. She sighed and stood. I opened the door for her and she went out. I took her hand and led her back to the kitchen, having her remember the way. I told her she slept in my room last night that was now our room. I also told her of the metal around the house. We arrived in the kitchen and she made herself some food before starting to eat.

"The other part I have to tell you is my maker was able to finish his work earlier than expected, so instead of coming next week, he is coming this week; tonight actually. I'll have to prepare the guest room for him, so you may want to find something to do for about thirty minutes." I had to make the bed, make sure the room was clean, and a few other things. I knew he wouldn't be leaving immediately, so I needed to prepare for the long term as well.

She nodded. "I could help you," she offered.

"No. Thank you for the offer, but I can do it quicker. Besides, you shouldn't have to be doing things like that."

"It's alright," she said. "I'm used to doing things like that all the time."

I looked at her. "What do you mean?"

She blushed. "When I lived with my mom, I had to do most everything, from cleaning the house to cooking dinner. She is a very unpredictable cook and it's not always edible. After we left my grandma's house when she died, I had to take care of the bills and such too. When I moved in with my dad, I took over cooking since all he could cook was eggs and bacon and I did the cleaning too. I'm used to it."

The further she went into her story, the madder I became. "How old were you when your grandmother died?"

She bit her lip hesitantly before answering quietly, "Nine."

My voice was cold and commanding. "Stay here until I return. I need a moment to calm down. You may go into the living room as well."

Without waiting for any indication she was listening, I rushed off to my office where I could vent my frustration. The phone rang, and I looked at the screen before answering.

"Yes, Godric?" I answered shortly.

Without even being there, I knew he was raising his eyebrow. "Eric, watch your tone." I sent regret to him through the bond we shared. "What has you upset?"

I let out a growl that I hoped Bella couldn't hear. "Bella offered to help get the guest room ready for you. She had said she was used to it. I asked her why. She told me about her mother and father being so irresponsible, she had to cook and clean for them for most of her life. She had to worry about paying the bills for her mother when her grandmother died. She was nine! Nine, Godric! No one should be worrying about any of that at nine."

There was silence for a moment before Godric spoke. "She was forced to do those things at that age?" His voice was dangerously calm.

"Yes, but I think it may go further than that; she just hasn't told me yet."

Godric was silent. "Inform me when you find out more."

"Yes, Godric. I will see you tonight."

"Until tonight," was his response before we hung up.

I took a couple more minutes to calm down before walking back to Bella. She had relocated to the living room. She was lying on the couch with the skirt pushed up and the shirt unbuttoned. I chuckled. She was really going to push this wasn't she? Two could play at that.

"Okay, I'm calmer. You can move around now other than the two rooms. I'll be done soon." With that, I ran to the guest room and took care of everything. I put on fresh sheets, cleaned the dust around the room, and laid fresh towels in the bathroom. It only took me five minutes as I was moving at vampire speed. It only took me a moment to know Bella was back in our room, and I smirked. I could only imagine what I would see this time.

As I walked in the door, I knew my imagination failed me as this was much different than I expected. She was on her back, her head resting on the pillow. She had changed into sheer blood red lingerie and red high heels. She was very much exposed as her legs were spread apart, and she didn't have anything on underneath. The sight made me excited. Her hand drifted down, first signaling me to come to bed with her before going lower. I sped and held her hands above her body.

"I believe you have forgotten what I said, Isabella." I leaned down closer. "A woman should never have to pleasure herself. That is what a man is for."

With that, I kissed her and undressed quickly. We spent a few hours in there, with many orgasms and much passion, heated in the moment. I only stopped her then because I heard her stomach protesting for food. We cleaned up, and I carried her to the kitchen in my arms. Sitting her down on the chair, I rummaged through the food and found something I could make. I put together a large salad for her and she started eating with eagerness. I found some fruit and washed and cut it for her before putting it in a bowl and handing it to her.

When she finished everything, I put the dishes into the dishwasher I had put in; it was very convenient. I carried Bella to our room and set her down gently onto the bed.

"We need to get dressed now, Bella. It will be dark soon and we need to greet Godric. Wear something nice please."

She nodded and walked into the closet, as I did. I dressed quickly, and watched Bella get dressed as well. She looked delightful in the black skirt that came half way down her thighs and the pink shirt that hung only slightly loose around her frame with black high heels. I was in black slacks and a black dress shirt. I took Bella out to the living room until it was time to leave. I texted Godric to make sure the time he would arrive at the airport. He had informed me he was having his belongings shipped here from Dallas.

I held open the door for Bella before climbing in the driver's seat. It was a twenty minute drive to the airport, during which I filled in Bella all she needed to know about Godric from me; the rest he would tell her when he decided. I informed her of his age, his position as head of the bloodline, his position in the Americas, and much more. When we arrived, I parked and we headed into the airport.

The flight from Dallas had just arrived, and I could feel my maker getting closer. In just two minutes, my maker had his suitcase and was headed straight for us. I bowed my head in greeting, with a smile on my face. "Godric."

He smiled. "Eric." He looked over at Bella. "I assume this is your mate?"

I smiled largely. "Yes. Bella, this is my maker Godric. Godric, this is my mate, Bella."

They both smiled, and they shook hands. I was glad they seemed to be getting along.

"Shall we continue to a more private venue?" Godric asked.

That meant he wanted out of here. I was more than glad to leave. There were too many people in here staring at us.

I put my arm around Bella, and started leading the way. "Gladly."

I heard Bella chuckle. "You don't like the airport much then?"

I could feel amusement from Bella and Godric both, as well as my own. "Neither of us does. There is too much going on, and too many people."

She laughed again, and we were outside. We made it to the car, where Godric put his suitcase in the trunk before climbing in the backseat. Bella did as well, saying she wanted to talk more to Godric, and it would be easier if she didn't have to turn around. I sat in the front alone, driving down the streets back to my mansion. I heard Bella asking Godric about the tattoos and mentally sighed at myself for forgetting to explain her dream to Godric.

I felt Godric's curiosity. "I haven't gotten to explain your odd dream to Godric yet Bella. He doesn't quite know what you are talking about yet."

She nodded. "Okay, first I saw you. You were in a nearly see through white outfit and had your fangs out. Then Eric came up and he had short hair and was dressed in black with purple and had his fangs out. Then Pam came up dressed in a red and black beaded lace dress from the early 1900s with her fangs out. Then I showed up in jeans and purple and had fangs and blood dripping from my mouth."

He was surprised, and thoughtful. "Well, I turned Eric, and Eric turned Pam. Neither of us have any other progenies, so it is hard to tell the exact order. I believe Eric has intentions on turning you in the future," I heard her gasp, "So it may show you after you are turned."

I risked a glance in the mirror and saw her looking at me in surprise. "You plan on turning me?" Bella asked.

I sighed and mentally hit my head against a wall. "I was planning to wait until you were ready to talk about it to tell you." I slightly glared at Godric, who merely stifled his laugh and smirked. "I was also planning to wait until you are closer to my age."

She looked at me for another minute before smiling. She started reaching for her seatbelt to unfasten it, but Godric put his hands on hers as I breathed a sigh of relief.

"It would be wise until we aren't moving to unfasten your seat belt. It can be very dangerous. We are only a few minutes away from Eric's house. You can do so then," Godric told her.

I sent my tremendous thanks to my maker, who looked at Bella until she nodded. He sent me a small smile in return.

_I wouldn't want something to happen simply because she was impatient and wanted to give you a kiss while you are driving and her unbuckled._

I smiled. _I know. Thank you again. If something happened, at least she would be with vampires though._

His smile faltered, as did mine. _Yes,_ he answered. I could hear the concern. I sent him some reassurance and gave him a smirk, though it did nothing for him. He looked over at Bella, who began to ask him about his tattoos again. He smiled as he started telling her about them.

* * *

Godric's POV!

* * *

As Eric's mate started to reach for her seatbelt, I stopped her. I told her to wait until we arrived at Eric's house to unbuckle herself, otherwise risking her safety. Eric and I talked for a moment, with him sending his thanks to me. I was curious about her dream. When she started asking about my tattoos again, I decided to indulge her and explain them.

I pointed to the one on my left arm, and explained it meant water. When she asked why I had it, I explained where I'm from worshipped the elements and I grew up near the coast. I pointed towards my back, saying it was a sea serpent. She asked if she could see it, but I told her she would have to wait until we are at Eric's. I explained its meaning of being sacred to my people as we worshipped the water most. I lowered the collar of my shirt and showed her the necklace like ring around the front half of my neck. I explained it meant that I was in really high standing as a human, and I was royalty. I pointed to my right arm, where there were two circles of runes wrapping around my arm. I explained to her they were accomplishments of mine throughout my life.

She was fascinated by every word, and I could feel Eric's excitement about hearing the explanations again. By the time we were finished, we pulled up to Eric's mansion. He was opening the door for Bella within moments. She kissed him passionately before they looked at me. I motioned to the trunk, seeing as Eric forgot. He opened the trunk quickly and I pulled out my bags. Eric led me to the guest bedroom and I started unpacking. I would finally be able to spend time with my progeny and grandchild again without having to worry about getting back to Dallas, and I would get to learn more about Eric's mate Bella as well.

I was very much looking forward to retirement, and hopefully it would only be the start of something new. I did wonder what this feeling I have is though?

* * *

Please let me know your feedback! Would you like Eric and Godric to be Bella's mate, or just Eric? Once again, thank you for the reviews and the voters that resulted in _A Bright New Future_ placing in the Energize WIP awards!


	15. Godric

Thank you everyone! There was an amazing amount of responses towards who Bella should be with, either Eric and Godric or only Eric. An overwhelming majority of reviewers have decided, and the votes have been counted. Here are the results!

Godric's POV

Once I finished unpacking, I thought about this feeling. I knew it was connected to Bella, but I wasn't sure how. I would explore it more at a later time. I walked out to the living room where Bella and Eric waiting; she was snacking on some vegetables and fruits. Eric had a bag beside him that I could smell food and water inside it. He explained it's for Bella while we were at Fangtasia.

I understood perfectly that my childe could not abandon his duties as Sheriff of Area 5 because I came earlier than expected. There were a few times it was the opposite way around as well. We walked to his car, where Bella climbed in the back with me again. The feeling I had for her was stronger when she was closer. I had felt a little spark and a tingling sensation when I shook her hand, and wondered if she felt it too. The only instance I had heard of that happening was the beginning of a mating bond.

Was it truly possible? She was Eric's mate. Could there be a double mating bond? I would have to speak with Eric privately about this, while we weren't driving. I had no doubt Eric wouldn't be thrilled at first at having to share his mate, but if his mate was the same as my mate, and I am his maker, then he should be able to handle it well soon. I hoped he would anyways.

Bella began asking me questions about me, and I asked her about her past as well. This continued until we reached Fangtasia. We entered through the employee entrance in the back of the building before going to Eric's office. He put the bag of Bella's snacks down along with her purse. He put the items that needed to be chilled in the small refrigerator he had in here.

"Bella, Godric, would you like to stay here while I go speak to Pam for a moment?" Eric asked. He knew I would be able to hear regardless, but must want Bella to be kept company. I nodded and Bella replied yes. Bella got comfortable to wait, this time not continuing the conversation so I was able to listen in on Eric and Pam.

It was merely dealing with the bar and if security measures had been put into place for Bella's protection. With my vampire hearing heightened since I was using it to listen outside the room, I heard slight ringing noise. It was barely audible, and I doubted Eric would be able to hear it. Eric came in just then. I raised my finger to Bella to tell her to remain quiet. She nodded.

_I believe someone is spying on you Eric._ I felt his anger flare, and could see it written clearly on his face. I concentrated and found out where the noise was coming from. _I hope you don't mind buying a new phone._

He nodded that he didn't and I crushed the phone into pieces. I didn't hear the ringing anymore.

"It's safe now," I told them.

Eric's temper was much known now. He growled. "Someone is spying on me?!"

I waited a moment until he was only slightly calmer. "Someone put a bug on your phone. Do you have any idea about who it could be?"

He thought for a moment. All the while, Bella was sitting on the couch, trying not to attract his attention, and I smiled slightly. She caught it, and smiled back.

"Maybe. Pam?" He raised his voice a little so she could hear.

She appeared in moments. "Yes, master?"

I saw Bella look confused and I chuckled. Eric looked to me and I motioned towards Bella. The look on her face was adorable. He smirked and chuckled too, as did Pam.

"Take Bella out to the main area and get her something to drink. Keep her safe and occupied. Don't let her out of your sight."

She nodded before leading Bella out, knowing it was more than a request. Once the door was shut and they were out of the hallway, I turned to Eric.

"Who do you think it is, and why?" I questioned my progeny.

He hesitated. From our time together, I knew that was never a good thing. It meant he was keeping something from me he knew would likely make me upset. I raised my eyebrow, knowing this would make him cave. I was right.

"I believe it is the queen of Louisiana, Sophie Anne Leclerq. I believe she wants to know if she can trust me," he informed me.

I waited patiently for more, though he appeared content to stop there. "Why would she need to place monitoring devices in your office to know if she can trust you?" He hesitated again. "Eric." That one word held the tone he knew not to disregard.

He sighed in defeat. "You know how the government was alerted before the public, so they could arrange everything to have it ready by the time of the Great Revelation?" I nodded. "Well, the IRS is bothering Sophie Anne immensely, and have been since before the Great Revelation. The vampires like Pam, you, and me had nothing to worry about in this regard since we have all paid taxes in the past every year. She hasn't." He hesitated again and seemed to take a deep breath and prepare himself to say something he knew would make me angry. "The queen has been forcing some of the sheriffs, including me, to sell her blood."

He stared at me, waiting to see how I reacted. How dare this child queen force her subjects to sell her blood? The blood is sacred! Something must be done. I looked at Eric's face, which held a small plea of keeping this a secret. There would be no such thing. There would be justice. My childe, who was more than half a millennium older than her, would not be forced to sell her blood any longer.

"I will take care of it." The slight fear in his eyes alerted me he knew it would end in the death of someone. "Do not fear my childe. I know things about this child queen that most do not, including her bloodline that she herself is not aware of."

He nodded. "Thank you Godric. You don't have to do this though. You just retired."

I chuckled. "I am not letting you be manipulated by her." My tone was dark and hard.

Eric knew I wouldn't change my mind so merely sighed and nodded.

"Now, there is something else we must discuss. You may want to sit." He sat in the chair behind his desk and I sat in one of the chairs in front of it. "What do you know of mating bonds?"

He thought. "Mainly just what you told me. What happens to the mate if the other one dies, how to identify your mate, and I learned of the chance you may have more than one, though it is extremely rare. There have only been less than a handful of cases in our entire history."

I smiled, glad this would be made slightly easier. "What do you know of those cases?"

He thought for a moment before answering. "Usually it is one female and two males. Typically there is a maker and progeny pairing in the grouping. Why?"

I smiled. "Eric, why do you think I am asking you about this?"

He stared at me and then his blue eyes suddenly lit up with comprehension. "Are you saying what I think you are?"

I nodded. "I believe we are in a double mating, Eric. I believe Bella has two mates."

He stared at me. I could tell he didn't know what to think about sharing his mate with his maker. The silence was lengthy, but I was patient. I knew my progeny would need time to process this. Finally, he spoke.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Almost positive. I didn't think it was possible at first as she is your mate."

He started thinking again. "There is only one way to be absolutely sure." He looked at me intensely. "What do you think about this?"

I felt the edges of my lips lift. "I think that if it is truly a double mating bond, then Bella will be the most protected person around."

He chuckled. "I agree."

With that, we stood up and walked out to the main part of the bar area. The bar was only fifteen minutes away from opening and I could hear numerous humans outside the door waiting in line. I could hear the excited murmurs and erratic heartbeats caused by the adrenaline. We walked over to Bella and Pam, who were sitting on the bar stools. Bella had a soda in her hand, and was talking with Pam about what she liked and didn't like about clothing. Eric and I chuckled. Pam was predictable when it came to fashion, and at times even shopped for us.

_Are you ready to test this theory?_ I heard Eric ask me mentally.

I nodded. I was more than ready. I walked up to Bella, gently turned her head towards mine and kissed her on the lips before she could even tell what I intended to do. I felt the sparks along my lips that felt like lightning and my body felt electrified. I reluctantly released her mouth and smiled before turning to Eric.

_It is correct. Bella is both of our mates._

Bella's POV

After watching Godric smash the telephone and Eric and he talking of spies, Eric had Pam whisk me away to the bar for a drink. We talked of my likes and dislikes in colors, clothing style, and fabrics.

"Thank you very much for the lingerie, Pam. It worked wonders with Eric." I blushed as I said this, still having very little experience compared to any of them.

She smirked. "You're certainly welcome."

I smiled. "You know, it's nice to actually have someone listen to my opinion on the clothes people want to get me."

She looked confused. "What do you mean?"

I felt my lips pull down some. "My ex-boyfriend's adoptive sister had an obsession with shopping. She always bought me clothes that I would never wear; most of them she forced onto me. There were very few things that I actually liked."

I saw Pam's face look angry for a split second before she composed herself. "Well, there's no more of that. You not having your opinion heard on what you wear ends now. I can have Eric agree to that later if you would like."

I smiled. "That's not necessary. Thank you."

She smiled back, and not the fake, sarcastic, or sinister smiles she gives the crowd. It was a true smile on her face. "You're welcome."

We discussed fashion some more before we had company. Instead of announcing their presence, Eric and Godric snuck up on us, or at least me. My head was turned to the side with gentle hands. I saw Godric's face fill my vision before his lips were on mine in a very delicious kiss that gave me the same static as Eric's did. It was like there was sparks flying across our lips. He released me and turned towards Eric as he smiled. Eric smiled as well. I was confused, and I was sure Pam was when I took a quick look at her. She had an eyebrow raised and a curious expression.

"Do either of you mind explaining what just happened? I'm quite sure Bella's more confused than I am." Pam thankfully asked the two vampires what I was thinking.

The turned to me and smiled. Eric put his hands on mine. I looked into his eyes as he explained.

"Lover, it seems that I am not the only one you belong to."

I was confused anymore but Pam looked like something clicked and she gasped. She asked something in Swedish, to which Godric said yes in English. She looked surprised.

"I haven't gotten to explain much about the mating bond to you yet, and I promise either Godric or I will explain everything soon. There are very rare occurrences of there being two mates to a person. It seems that Godric, you, and I are one of those cases." Eric looked at me as he was explaining, and it took me a minute to figure out what he was saying.

"So I have two mates? You and Godric?" I asked to clarify.

"Yes."

I nodded. "Okay."

They looked at me oddly. "You're okay with this?" Godric asked. "You don't have any questions?"

"After everything I have been through, including the pain from the break up, taking care of Renée and Charlie, and fighting for my life against Cold Ones, I get to have two people who love me and a friend who I hope will become my best friend or maybe even sister eventually. Why would I question something that could bring me so much happiness?"

They all smiled at me. I was so glad everything was working out well.

Godric's POV

After finding out Bella is my mate, and that Sophie Anne is having Eric sell her blood, I went into Eric's office to speak in private over my cell phone. Bella was in Eric's lap on the stage where he had more security placed around it to keep people further away as it bothered Bella. I had every intention of correcting this injustice.

I scrolled through the list of numbers until I found the Magister's name and clicked on call. It rang only a few times before he answered.

"Godric, what a nice surprise," greeted the voice of Jorge Alonso de San Diego.

"Jorge, I need you to come to Eric's bar in Shreveport. I have information about the queen you need to know. I suggest bringing reinforcements as she will not go easily or quietly. What she is doing is blasphemous and repulsing," I told him.

He was silent for a moment. "Of course, Godric. May I ask what the act is?"

The fury in my voice was obvious. "She is having her sheriffs sell her blood."

I heard the hiss on the other side of the line. "We will be there as soon as we can. I will summon the queen and sheriffs there as well. We are already near so we will be there in around three hours. Have Eric close the bar by then. No humans are to be present."

"Magister, my progeny and I have recently found our mate and all those we trust with her must be present. Is this acceptable?"

"You both found your mate?" I heard the incredulity in his voice.

"Yes, I will explain more when you arrive."

"Very well, and yes it is acceptable she is there," he answered.

"Thank you. See you soon, Jorge."

"See you soon, Godric."

With that, we hung up. Jorge is likely calling those summoned. I have to call someone myself. What Eric has not been told is I know exactly who my maker's other progeny has turned. As I am older than him, I am the head of the bloodline. One of Remus's numerous progenies is Alain Fournier, who is Sophie Anne's maker. Alain was killed long ago because Sophie Anne couldn't save him in time; though I'm not sure he wanted to. I, unfortunately at times, kept in contact with my vampire brother and knew he had taken Sophie Anne under his care until she was old enough to survive on her own since Alain didn't teach her how. He had her drink his blood so he could keep track of her as though she were his progeny just in case anything was to happen.

I dialed the number with distaste, as Remus shared my maker's opinion when it came to humans. I did for a while, but I grew out of it. Remus never did.

"Well hello, Godric. Usually it is every ten years we check in. Since it has been only around half of that, I assume it's for something other than to catch up," the voice greeted with only slightly contained dislike.

"Remus, I am calling you to inform you that if the Magister so decides, you may feel the death of Sophie Anne soon."

I was greeted by momentary silence. "What has she done that may result in the true death?" He tried to sound like he didn't care, but I could hear the barely there concern.

The anger was still in my voice as I answered. "She has been forcing her sheriffs to sell vampire blood, her blood specifically, to pay off the IRS."

He was silent. I knew it was an angry silence as I could hear the slight growl echoing through the line before a muttered list of Latin profanity came through his lips. Our maker, though cruel, had taught us that the blood was sacred and to desecrate it was sacrilege. "Thank you Godric. Tell her I said she is no longer under my protection. Is it possible for you to call me and let me listen in to the trial?"

"Very well. Talk to you soon."

"Until later."

He hung up and I went out to the club and sat on the stage by Eric. He looked at me curiously.

"You need to close the bar by nine o'clock," I informed him.

"The bar only opened at six o'clock. We close at four in the morning," he told me.

I looked at him. "Eric, it wasn't a request. I have my reasons. The magister is on his way. He wants the bar private for this conversation."

He looked at me, suddenly nervous. "You told him?"

I raised my eyebrow. "I told you I would take care of it. I will explain when we arrive home later. Bella and Pam are the only ones allowed to stay besides you and me. No humans other than our mate."

He nodded and summoned Pam to the stage. He told her of the closing time. At around eight, Eric, Bella, and I went into his office to give Bella something to eat. She ate quickly before disposing of the trash and we sat on the thrones again waiting for the right time. The bar closed at eight-thirty just in case they arrived early. Everyone left, leaving Pam and Longshadow to clean up. With their vampire speed it only took a few minutes before the bartender was ready to leave as well. When it was just us, I filled them in that the Magister was coming about the queen having the sheriffs sell the blood. Pam looked to Eric, shocked I knew, and Bella looked surprised and confused.

The Magister and his group arrived first at eight-forty-five. This unfortunately included Nan Flanigan. I explained about our mate, and they congratulated us both. The sheriffs arrived next, and then the queen alone a few minutes later. I dialed Remus, who remained silent and listened.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked the room.

Jorge walked in front of her, signaling someone to block the exits from the queen. "I have been told that you are forcing your sheriffs to sell your blood because the IRS is bothering you for neglecting to pay taxes."

Her breath caught in her throat and surprise flitted across her face before she retained her composure, but everyone caught it. "Those are treasonous allegations. Do you have any evidence?"

Jorge turned to me and I turned to Eric, who nodded his head. He passed Bella to Pam before rushing off, coming back within seconds with a large amount of evidence. There was vampire blood in vials, phone records, and a jump drive. He passed them to the magister. He signaled for a computer, which was brought to him and placed on the bar. He inserted the jump drive, which revealed video, photographs, and recordings of Sophie Anne forcing all the sheriffs to sell the blood. You could see her getting scared, as she should be. The sheriffs all confirmed this was true for them as well.

"Sophie Anne, you are clearly guilty of the crime to which you have been accused. The punishment for such a crime is the true death. Do you have anything to say?" The Magister declared.

It appeared Nan Flanigan had the Authority on the phone as well. "The Authority also dethrones you. You are no longer queen of Louisiana."

She looked stunned and angry. "You have no idea who you are dealing with. People will come after you if you harm me. He is extremely old; over two thousand actually." She smirked, not knowing my age it seems.

"Sophie Anne," she directed her attention to me. "Are you aware who the head of your bloodline is?"

She shook her head. "Yes, his name is Remus, and he is going to kill all of you."

I smirked and stepped forward. "Actually, Remus and I were turned by the same vampire, and I was turned before him. I am the head of your bloodline." I heard many gasps from all around me, including Eric, Pam, the Magister, and Nan Flanigan. "I have called Remus and informed him about what you have done. He has declared you are no longer under his protection."

She tried one last time, in a desperate attempt to stay alive. "You're lying."

I held up my phone and placed it on speaker. "Remus?"

"Yes, Godric?" I could hear the annoyance in his voice from Sophie Anne saying as such.

"Please inform Sophie Anne what you relayed earlier," I requested.

"Gladly. Sophie Anne, you are no longer under my protection. Your crime is unforgivable. Also, Godric is the head of the bloodline and has named Eric his second in the past. You have disgraced us and me by committing such an act."

Silence rang throughout before Sophie Anne started shaking, realizing she was about to meet the true death.

"Any last words?" Jorge asked.

She shook her head. Jorge turned to his progeny enforcer, who produced a stake. He took it and stepped in front of the former queen before driving the stake through her heart. She collapsed into bloody remains. Thankfully, Eric had turned Bella away from the scene. I sent him gratitude.

_I didn't think it would be a good idea for her to witness that,_ he told me.

_I agree. Somehow, I think she has already witnessed Cold Ones being killed._

He nodded. The Magister's group took to cleaning the remains of Sophie Anne and the sheriffs left with a promise to dispose of the blood properly. Remus and I said goodbye and I hung up the phone. Nan Flanigan was still on the phone with the Authority discussing who the next monarch should be.

Jorge approached me. "Thank you for letting me know, Godric."

"It was my pleasure, Jorge."

We shook hands before he turned towards Eric. "That was very smart of you to keep a secret stash of evidence against Sophie Anne."

"Thank you, Magister. It is possible you may find more evidence incriminating herself at her home. She bugged my office, and presumably the other sheriffs as well," Eric told him.

"I'll look into the matter."

His group finished then, and disposed of the evidence of a death neatly. You couldn't tell anything happened. "Until next time."

We nodded our agreements and Jorge and his group left. Nan Flanigan left as soon as she finished on the phone. We were now alone again.

Unfortunately, I had the feeling we were going to have a long night ahead of us still as I knew I would have to explain to Bella, Eric, and Pam. We took our leave, locking up Fangtasia and went to Eric's mansion. Bella sat down with a salad and some pasta at a table in the living room. Everyone was in there, waiting for me to explain what happened earlier with the bloodline. Well, here was my best try.


End file.
